


Carry the Light

by FandomLastsForever



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Androids, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Blood, Car Accidents, Car Chases, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Eye Injuries, Implied/Referenced Loss of Limbs, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Outer Space, Past Relationship(s), Robots, Sacrifice, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Self-Sacrifice, Serious Injuries, Space Battles, Space Opera, Space Pirates, Space Trains, Temporary Character Death, The Galaxy Railways AU, Time Travel, Trains, Unresolved Sexual Tension, long chapters, train crash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-02-16 14:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 43,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13055646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLastsForever/pseuds/FandomLastsForever
Summary: Far in the distant future, mankind has expanded its reach into the vast depths of space. Travel from planet to planet is achieved by an interconnected set of railways that are protected by the brave soldiers who enlist into the Space Defence Force.Ruby Rose, a young woman from the planet Patch, follows in the footsteps of her mother and sister and enlists in the SDF. In her journey to rise in ranks and live up to her family’s legacy, Ruby will face many trials from asteroids, space pirates, and even those she’s closest to.Bonds will be forged, convictions tested, and the fate of the Galaxy Railways hangs in the balance.





	1. Thus Kindly We Scatter

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been a long time coming.
> 
> I've been wanting to do this AU for a long time now. This AU is based on one of my favorite guilty pleasure anime series, The Galaxy Railways. To put it simply, it's an anime about space trains and a lot of talk about what it means to be who you are, what it means to live on after loss, and such. It covers a lot of topics you don't usually see covered in a lot of media, and it's got a nice mix of cheesy 70's-80's writing I enjoy. I've wanted to put the RWBY characters into this universe for so long simply because the idea fascinates me, and like with any fans, crossovers/aus of my favorite series make me smile and feel happy. 
> 
> Do keep in mind when reading this. This story's chapters are set up to act as a kind of "full episode". So the chapters are going to be long, long, LONG. It's also written in a way to be as cheesy as possible, as I want to recreate that same feeling I get watching Leiji Matsumoto's Space Operas here with this story. And the above listed ships are involved, but that's not the full roster. I'm still debating on other ships for this AU. As the plot unfurls, I'd love to hear your input on what you enjoy and how I can make this story more engaging. And if you see anything you think might need tagging, let me know. 
> 
> A huge thank you to all my friends and fellow writers for help with this and for all the support you gave me during NaNoWriMo when I was finishing this first chapter. You're all amazing and I couldn't have gotten this far without you.
> 
> This is a story I've been wanting to bring to the table for so long, and now it's finally a reality. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image done by my wonderful friend xhikarixyamix over on tumblr. Go check her out!

__

 

_ The Universe. Inconceivably vast, where the grandest of stars are mere fragments of glitter across the moonlight night. Are we not just pinpricks of energy, spread infinitely through the cosmos, or are we more than just fleeting images of existence in the grand scheme of creation and destruction? Is there anything more beautiful than the knowledge that thousands of spirits live among the swirling hues of a planet's surface? _

_ Perhaps there is. An unseen beauty seen within the choices that come from those destined to defy fate. What kind of future can be created from the single bloom within the harshest of moments? _

_ Only Destiny knows the answer. _

 

* * *

 

 

The sound of the wheels echoed through the night as the train made its way through the cool autumn air. The steam trailed behind marking its path, and as the whistle sounded softly, a pair of silver eyes watched from the cliffside in excitement. Young Ruby Rose always came to the cliff after school to watch for any sign of the grand engine in hopes of seeing her mother's return. Even if it wasn't her mother, the trains crossing the sky always gave her a yearning to travel.

"Wow!" she gasped. "So cool. I wonder if that's mom's train." She listened carefully, smiling as the familiar whistle echoed louder in her ears. She grabbed her bag and ran away from the cliff, heading toward the main road with joy. "It is! It is Crescent Rose! Mom's home, I can't believe it! I gotta go tell Yang!"

Ruby hurried down the road, nearly tripping over her own feet when the sound of barking came up beside her. A small black and white corgi puppy began to keep pace with her, bounding in excitement as they began to approach the main house. Yang's bike was hooked up to the porch, signaling her return from after school activities. If she knew her sister as well as she thought she did, Yang would be in her favorite cargo pants and tank top. Ruby burst through the door, dropping her bag on the floor and running upstairs.

**_"YANG!"_** she screeched as she entered their room. **_"MOM'S HOME!"_**

"What?" Yang looked up from her homework, lilac eyes wide in excitement. "Really?! But dad said she wasn't scheduled in until next month!"

"I saw Crescent Rose with my own two eyes!" Ruby squealed, quickly changing out of her uniform and into her favorite shorts and hoodie. "We gotta go meet her at the station! Come on, or we'll miss her!"

Yang rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed grumble. "Ruby, I have finals to study for, and then I have to help dad at the deliveries. And besides, we're not allowed on the platform without a pass, remember?"

"I know," she groaned. "But those are just SDF rules, right? I'm not SDF yet, so they don't apply to me."

"That's not how it works, Ruby-"

"Fine!" Ruby turned to leave, sticking her tongue out. "I'll just go wait for mom myself. I know how to get onto the platform without a pass anyway." She scampered out of the room, a playful smirk on her face. "And I'm taking your bike! Tell dad I'll be back later for dinner!"

"What?!" Yang got up, flying down the stairs after her sister. "Ruby, I need my bike for work! Get back here!"

Ruby giggled as she unhooked the bike and took off before Yang could catch her. It wasn't like she needed the bike really. Yang still had a scooter and a skateboard she made from old parts, so delivering food on time wasn't going to be a problem. If her sister wasn't going to come with her, she'd go it alone. There was nothing in all of the galaxy that was going to stop her from seeing her mother.

Ruby pedaled down the street, turning to move onto one of the back roads as she got close to the station, turning toward the school. There was an old drainage pipe big enough for a seven-foot tall person to walk through that wasn't connected to anything. It had been forgotten when construction on Signal Academy had been going on, and ended up covered by mounds of dirt when the new station was built, providing a quick tunnel to the rail line from the school under a makeshift hill meant to separate the two. It was a good mile long, but Ruby was certain she could make it to the other end before the train pulled in.

Parking the bike on the rack out front, Ruby hurried to the hill and hurried into the pipe, praising herself for being sneaky. Not many people knew where the pipe lead to, and Ruby only learned after having to walk down to get Zwei back when he got loose. It was blocked off by a few rusty bars and hidden behind a lot of tall grass. But there was a space big enough for her to slip through. Ruby made it to the bars and slipped out onto the tracks, snickering in delight.

"Score," she tittered, walking over to the platform and reaching up to climb on top.

She failed to account for how high the actual reach would be. She jumped up and tried to grab hold of the edge, but Ruby couldn't even get within an inch of the platform. There wasn't any other way for her to get onto the platform without being noticed by the security droids floating back and forth watching for intruders.

"Darn it!" she hissed. "How am I supposed to get up onto the platform without the guard bots catching me?"

**_WHEESHT!_ **

The sound of the whistle pulled her attention from the platform, and Ruby saw the light in the distance rapidly making its way down the tracks. Her eyes widened in fear as she turned to run away, praying that the train wouldn't catch her. She tried again to reach the ledge, using the momentum to add a bit of height to her jump. The guard bots took notice and rolled over to block the platform, preventing her from climbing .

_Not good!_ she thought as she continued to run. Her foot caught on something, and she fell to the ground. The whistle blew clear as crystal as she tried to stand up.

The train was mere feet away.

Ruby covered her eyes and screamed, waiting for impact as the world blacked out for a moment. When her surroundings came to once again, she felt the sensation of cool metal braced against her body, steam lightly billowing into the night air and causing a few leaves to fall from one of the nearby trees on the hill.

"I'm alive?" Ruby whispered, feeling a rush of relief. "I can't believe it! I'm alive!"

**_"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"_ **

Ruby looked up, the relief melting to terror as she saw the curved dome head of one of the security droids looking down at her, its pincer like arms reaching for her as a small taser gun slid out of a compartment on the side of its rounded torso.

"I'm not an intruder!" Ruby shrieked. "I'm just here to see my mom! I don't mean any harm!"

**_"Is there a problem here?"_ **

The sound of footsteps approached the front of the train, causing Ruby to smile as two people came into view. One was a man that stood taller than most, eyes as blue as the afternoon sky and wearing a stark white coat with a high collar and a black trim, the symbol of a wolf on the crest over his heart. Beside him stood a woman several feet shorter than him with short black and red hair and eyes of starlight. A woman whom Ruby resembled perfectly.

The Captain of the Crescent Rose, the leader of Sirius Platoon; Summer Rose.

"We found an intruder, Captain!" the droid answered in its monotoned buzz.

"I can see that," said Summer. "I happen to be the intruder's mother."

"So this is little Ruby," the man chuckled. "You _really_ weren't kidding when you said she looked like you, Captain."

"Hi mom!" Ruby giggled. "Welcome home."

"You could have been killed!" Summer bellowed, causing her fellow officer to wince. "What would your father and I do if we lost you? Do you realize how dangerous this little stunt was?!"

"I'm sorry mom," Ruby said softly, tears welling in her eyes.

Summer kept her stern face for only a moment before relaxing into a tender smile. "Well, as long as you don't do it again. Come on, let's go home." She reached down to take Ruby's hand, only to find she wasn't quite able pull her up herself. Her ears took on a pink tint as she looked at her companion. "Um...James? Mind giving me a hand?"

The man smiled and reached down, easily picking Ruby up and setting her beside Summer, giving them both a playful salute. "Anytime, Captain."

"At ease, Ironwood," Summer giggled. "Go tell the others to go rest. I'll meet you all back here tomorrow evening."

"Yes ma'am." James turned and walked back toward the train.

"You're leaving so soon?" Ruby asked. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie. It's a one day stop." She lifted Ruby onto her back and proceeded to walk out of the station. "By the way, how did you manage to get past security like that?"

"That's a secret. SDF can't know everything, can they?"

"No," Summer giggled. "I suppose not."

The two of them made their way down the road as the breeze danced through their hair. Ruby swiped the captain's hat off her mother's head and put it on her own, enjoying the warmth it provided. It had been far too long since her mom and her had a moment of peace like this. It was nothing but bliss.

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Dammit Ruby! You have a lot of nerve taking my bike on the day of the big delivery! You're lucky you're cute or I'd pummel you!"_ **

There were more orders for the local college than were normally expected. Typically she'd only have a box or two. But given that it was almost time for finals, Yang wasn't entirely surprised. Most college students couldn't spar the study time to cook, and Sunny Dragon's final's prices always made it tempting to splurge on finger foods.

_But did they really need to order so much? I can't even ride my own skateboard and have to use it as a freaking dolly!_

Luckily the college campus wasn't that far from the restaurant. Only a few blocks away, and there were typically a few students out front that could help carry the food to the dorms. Yang wondered what it'd be like if she went to the school instead of following Summer's footsteps. Would she be ordering study dinners from her own family? Would she be  top of the class like her favorite tutor? Or would she drop out faster than you can sing the alphabet?

But she didn't really intend to stay and find out. She was going to ride the rails someday. She was going to head out and see the galaxy. As much as Yang loved Patch, she didn't want to spend her entire life on the little lumber planet. She wanted a life where she didn't know what tomorrow would bring. She wanted to protect people. Patch was far too peaceful.

_And besides_ , she thought _, joining the SDF would probably put me on the right track to find my mother._

**_"Hey Yang! Over here!"_ **

Yang looked over at the entrance to the dorms, smiling as she saw the familiar smile of Matte wearing their favorite striped pull over. She waved back, being careful not to drop any of the food. "Hey Matte! Can I get a hand?"

"Sure!"

Matte skipped over after whistling at the door, the rest of the students coming and forming a line. Yang handed Matte a box, and then they handed it off to another student, and the line continued to pass it back until Yang saw the boxes disappear into the building. The teamwork the young adults pulled off during this time of year was always impressive. It left Yang speechless every time.

"So," Matte chuckled. "You see the trains crossing the sky lately?"

"Yeah," Yang sighed. "Ruby insisted she saw mom's train pulling in and took my bike."

"She probably went to the old pipe."

"The old pipe?"

"Yeah!" Matte said. "Rumor has it the old pipe in the hill by Signal High leads to the station, but the only other person I know who says it's true is a former graduate named Tukson, and he's been off to the SDF for a while now."

"Didn't he used to run the student book store?" Yang asked.

"Sure did." Matte looked Yang over, brow raised in suspicion. "You're planning on joining when you're old enough, aren't you?"

"What?" Yang shook her head, trying to hide the wanderlust in her eyes. "No, I-"

"No need to hide it," they soothed. "I'm planning on joining too. Only I'm going into the repair wards, not the main fighting force."

Yang looked at them in surprise. She didn't think Matte was into that kind of thing. "Really?"

"Yep. I'm going the moment graduation is over this spring."

"So soon?" Yang felt her heart sink. She didn't want Matte to go. "But I thought you were going to stay until I got to college. Can't you wait a while longer?"

Matte shrugged. "Time waits for no one, and destiny is a cruel mistress. She has all of eternity to observe, and she's not going to spend it waiting for me to follow my dreams." They gave Yang a gentle pat on the head. "I might not be able to wait on you, but I'll be keeping in touch. And I've been keeping all my notes for you, so once you're eighteen, you'll be more than ready."

"What am I supposed to do without you?" Yang scratched at the ground with her toes. She knew she couldn't ask them to stay, but she still hoped they would. Just for a little while longer.

"You won't be without me," Matte assured. "Once you're SDF, we'll be seeing a lot of each other. Until then, you do your best in school, okay? And keep practicing those knots and working on your aim with that peashooter you call a slingshot."

Yang's hands flew to her mouth, pretending to be insulted. "How dare you, Captain Featherpants! The Ember Celica is no peashooter!"

The two of them shared a few more laughs before Yang turned and began to head home.

 "Hey Yang!" Matte called after her. "Tell your mom I said hi, okay?!"

"Okay! See you later Matte!"

Yang took a running start and jumped onto her board with a renewed vigor. Matte always had that kind of aura about them that made her lighter than air. If Matte had a superpower, it was definitely lightening the mood.

"I better hurry home in case Ruby's right about mom."

 

* * *

 

 

"How come you can't stay a while?" Ruby asked as they walked.

"They're currently working on bringing on more teams," Summer explained. "We've ended up losing a few of our best to the SPG this past year, so I have to work a little more. But hopefully I'll be back by Christmas time. And maybe I can convince Qrow to take a day off and come visit us here too."

"Sounds good! Oh, do you know what I want for Christmas?"

"And what's that?"

"I wanna go for a ride on Crescent Rose!"

Summer rolled her eyes playfully. "I can't let you on the train, Ruby."

"And why not?!"

"Because that's the rules. You have to be an SDF or SPG officer to go aboard the main engine."

Ruby let out a huff of annoyance. "But I'm not an officer of either, so I don't have to follow their rules."

"Nice try, but those rules apply to everyone. Not just officers."

"Darn." Ruby made incoherent noises of frustration, causing Summer to laugh.

_It's been awhile since I've seen her so feisty_ , Summer thought.

"Okay then, I'll do it!" Ruby threw her fist into the air, nearly knocking herself off of Summer's back.

"Do what?" Summer asked.

"I'll join the SDF and become a captain like you! Then I can go on the trains anytime I want!"

"That's a mighty big dream, Ruby. You sure you're up for it?"

"Of course! I am your daughter, aren't I?"

Summer snorted back a laugh, giving Ruby a light bounce. "That you are, honey. That you are."

As the two of them approached the diner, Summer could see movement from inside the window. The dinner rush was just wrapping up and people were packing up to leave. Barking echoed from inside, and there was a skateboard leaning against the door, the golden dragon detailing shining bright in dim street light in place of the usual bike.

"Why didn't Yang take her bike for deliveries?" Summer asked.

"Uh, well," Ruby stammered. "I might have, uh, borrowed it?"

"Oh really? Was Yang okay with that?"

"Nope."

Summer let out a giggle as she set Ruby down, letting her go in first. She had to take a moment every time. She never knew when it would be her last time crossing the threshold to see her family. She always took a moment to savor it. Not many people were able to have a family of their own like she did. She didn't intend to let this blessing go.

With her back straight and eyes wide and bright, Summer entered the diner, smiling as she saw Yang pull Ruby into a headlock for stealing her bike. Taiyang was behind the counter with his back to the door, preparing glasses of water for what he probably assumed were more customers. He was always happiest when he was helping others.

_He's still the same as ever._

"Welcome!" Tai said cheerfully as he turned to face her. "Have a seat anywhere you'd...like..."

"On your lap watching cartoons?" Summer teased. "Tai, I thought you were supposed to be working."

Taiyang grinned like a fool, setting the water down and jumping over the counter. He ran up to her like he always did when she came home, pulling Summer into his arms for a warm, tender kiss. Summer melted into his embrace, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and kicking her feet lightly as she was lifted off the ground and dipped backwards.

One of the few things her short stature granted her that she would positively hate to give up in exchange for an extra foot or too.

The few remaining patrons gave a round of applause for the kiss as the two of them stood upright, gazing fondly at each other. The girls had stopped their roughhousing to make faces at their display of affection. Zwei was bouncing around her feet, yipping happily that she was home.

"Welcome back, Summer," Tai whispered.

"It's good to be back," she sighed.

The remaining customers paid their tabs and left as Taiyang closed up shop for the night. Ruby and Yang were talking rapidly about all kinds of things that Summer couldn't keep up with. She heard something about practicing their pitching and sparring, but that was about it. She could never focus when the girls talked at once. Taiyang helped load up the car and they all road back to the house in excitement.

"By the way, girls," Summer said. "I got you something while I was away." She reached into her coat and handed them each a small box. Yang's was wrapped in vibrant orange paper, while Ruby's was in black.

"Presents?!" they gasped.

"Yep. I missed Yang's birthday and I'm not going to be here for Ruby's, so these are early/belated birthday gifts. Go ahead, open them up."

The girls tore into their presents, screeching in delight as Yang pulled out a wristwatch and Ruby had a locket. The watch had a compartment for small photographs in it and a delightful starry colored version of the Xiao Long's Heart of Fire on its face. The locket had an engraving in the shape of the Rose family emblem. Sumer watched as the girls helped each other put them on.

"These are the best!" Ruby squealed.

"Thanks mom!" Yang cheered. "You're the best!"

Summer felt her heart swell with joy. "You're very welcome girls."

"Where's my present?" Taiyang teased.

"You get yours later. Once the girls go to bed."

Taiyang's face turned red as the girls let out a loud "ew" as they pulled into the driveway. Summer looked at the cabin styled house, feeling fully at peace.

_It's good to be home._

"Hey mom?" Yang said. "Can we practice our pitches after dinner?"

"Sure thing, honey."

 

* * *

 

 

The stars sparkled in his eyes as little Lie looked out the window by his seat. He rarely got to travel with his family, and even more so did he ever get to see his father. Being part of the Space Defense Force left very little time to be a family. But that was okay. He didn't mind the wait. He knew his father was trying to keep the galaxy safe for him and his mother.

_I'm sure father is waiting for us. I need to tell him about what I've been learning. I'm sure he'll be impressed._

**_"Lie."_ **

Lie looked to his mother, smiling brightly as he held his favorite teddy bear close. "Yes mother?"

"I'll be right back," she said. "I've got to head to the restroom. You wait here, okay?"

"Okay mother."

His mother gave him a kiss on the top of the head before leaving her seat and Lie turned back to look out the window. There was a strange energy calling out to him that he couldn't quite pinpoint. He often felt there was something out there. Something called to him and he could never tell what it was, but there something. It was kind, pleasant, and warm.

Though today it was stronger. More powerful. Almost like an ember slowly becoming a roaring fire. Lie was excited to see what it was.

No, not what.

_Who._

"Someone is coming," he whispered. "Someone is coming and they'll be a friend."

The warm aura suddenly vanished, replaced with something cold and toxic. Lie could sense danger on the horizon. He scanned the immediate area, trying to figure out where the sensation was coming from.

_It was close._

**_"There!"_ **

Coming in rapidly on the horizon, were several giant rocks heading toward the train. Lie didn't need even wait. He jumped out of his seat and ran to the next car to find the conductor. He was checking on some of the passengers who were complaining about something. Lie dropped his bear and tugged on his coat.

"Sir, call the SDF!" Lie cried. "There's a meteor shower coming this way!"

"Woah there kid," the conductor said. "What's going on?"

"Look out there!" He pulled the conductor over to the window, pointing to the rocks that were coming closer. "See?!"

"Oh shit!"

The conductor ran over to the emergency alarm. There was a shaking feeling, and Lie fell forward, his magenta gaze wide in fear as the emergency shutters closed.

The cold feeling vanished, and the warm one returned.

 

* * *

 

 

"Alright here we go!"

Summer had changed out of her uniform and into her favorite black skirt and red pullover for playing ball. Taiyang watched from the porch as the girls took turns throwing the ball to each other and making faces at each other. Ruby was declaring every different fastball "faster than a PRR-S1" or "Stronger than a UP-Big Boy". Yang's curveball managed to dodge Summer a couple of times and end up being caught by Zwei. He used to play with them all the time back in the day, and he missed being able to play ball with the girls. But he didn't mind too much. It was just as much fun being able to watch them.

"Alright Yang," Summer laughed. "Pass it back this way. I wanna see that Cutter!"

"You better be ready!" Yang warned. "I've been practicing!" The ball flew from Yang's hand, zooming into the palm of Summer's mitt.

"Oof!" Summer pulled the mitt off to shake her hand. "You weren't kidding about that. You really have been practicing."

"You bet! I clocked in at eighty-five at practice the other day!"

"That's amazing!"

"You okay, mom?" Ruby asked.

"I'm alright," Summer assured. "Just a little sore. I'll be fine though. How about you two show me how you fair between each other and I'll watch."

"Oh, come on! You can play another round!"

"I have to give your dad some love too, you know."

"Yuck!" Yang teased. "They're gonna get mushy again!"

Taiyang chuckled as Summer came to sit beside him. He gently wrapped an arm around her, not taking his eyes off the girls. "They really missed you."

"I missed them too," Summer muttered, watching the girls play. "They're good kids. You're doing a good job raising them."

"I have a lot of help," Tai snickered, rolling his shoulders. "Matte's been a great sitter and tutor, the town's pretty taken to them, and you and Qrow are always a call away. I couldn't have raised Yang and Ruby without everyone's help."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. You're a great father." Summer rested her head against his shoulder, and oh how Tai tried not to let his heart skip a beat. "And a wonderful husband."

"I don't know about wonderful, but I like to think I'm the luckiest husband. I have the greatest wife in the universe after all." Taiyang kissed the top of her head, taking in everything about her. She was gone too often for too long.

Moments like these were precious, and he wasn't about to take them for granted.

 

* * *

 

 

The office was almost completely silent, lit only by the dim holographic maps scattered about the room. The only sign of life coming from inside was their own breathing. It always began this way. The sudden silence of the universe as their ears became bruised by the constant beating of their own heart. Soon the alarms would sound, the shouting would begin, and the team would be selected to perform their duties. Sometimes it was only once in a day. Other times it was a constant pain that wouldn't let them go.

And every time it had to be done, every time something happened to cause them such pain, Ozpin felt their heart grow a little heavier.

**_"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! ENGINE NUMBER 718 HAS STOPPED!"_ **

**_"We have a full shutdown roughly 3500 megameters from the Patch System! It appears to be asteroids!"_ **

Ozpin gazed from the window looking into the main dispatch bay, pulling their emerald cape around them as a means of comfort. Everyone was working round the clock to ensure the safety of their travelers. Nothing had changed there.

But something was different about this mission. It wasn't like any of their usual disturbances.

**_"Their orbit shields have been compromised. They're directing power to the magnetic barrier and requesting the SDF send help."_ **

**_"Commander Sieben! I'm picking up a white hole opening about five-hundred megameters away, and the gravitational pull is increasing. If we don't hurry the 718 is going to be in some big trouble!"_ **

Ozpin watched as the stout Commander stood, knowing full well who he was going to send out. There were only two teams close enough to possibly save some of the passengers, but only one that could get there before any of them perished. They could feel their soul aching as their friend called out the order.

**_"I want Sirius Platoon out there yesterday, got it?! Get those people out of danger and back home to safety!"_ **

"It had to be them," the whispered, tears pricking at the back of their eyes. "The wheel of Fate continues to turn and I'm powerless to change it. Mighty warriors rush to meet their Destiny, even if the end result is their own destruction."

They took a seat at the desk, pulling up a small holo-image of the Crescent Rose. Their warm brown eyes taking on a golden hue. There wasn't much time. If they were going to do something, they had to hurry.

"I can't interfere directly...but maybe...I might be able to make it hurt a little less..."

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby hadn't gone to sleep. She was awake, too excited to have her mother home and too scared to go to sleep because she knew, deep down, that the visit was going to be cut short. She could always tell. She wasn't sure how, but there was always a certain aura the impromptu returns gave her.

And hearing the phone ring once was all Ruby needed to confirm her suspicions.

_Mom's leaving. I better go now if I'm going to make it to the station before her._

A hand grabbed onto her shoulder as she reached for the door.

"Going somewhere?" Yang asked quietly.

_Of course she's awake._ Ruby turned to glare at her sister, determined to see Summer off. "I have to go, Yang. I have to say goodbye to-"

"Hush," Yang shushed. "You'll give us away."

Yang gave her a playful wink and Ruby felt herself relax.

_This is going to be easier than I thought._

 

* * *

 

 

The phone echoed through the house, prompting Summer awake with a start. She reached over, managing to answer it before the third ring despite Taiyang pulling her away from it. Her legs still felt a little tired from their alone time.

"Summer Rose speaking," she answered. "Who do I have to thank for this lovely two in the morning wakeup call?"

_"Captain, it's Ironwood,"_ came a voice. " _I'm coming by to pick you up. We've just gotten a dispatch order. The 718 has completely derailed after being struck by asteroids."_

"Alright. I'll be out front in a minute. See you soon."

Summer ended the call and got up to dress herself. She'd gotten so used to quickly switching outfits, it didn't take her so long. She found it rather amusing, considering how half the Captains couldn't even tie their own scarves properly. A pair of arms wrap around her waist as a pair of lips ghost her neck, alerting her that Taiyang was awake.

"Do you have to go?" he asked softly.

"We have a derailed train," she explained. "My team is the closest, so we have to go help. Them's the breaks."

"Want me to tell the girls?"

"In the morning. Let them sleep. I'll call once the job is done and talk to them." She turned around, pulling a red bandana with golden dragons from her pocket to wrap around his neck. "I got this while I was out. And I have a few more funky ones on the way here in the mail. Wear them fondly, you big goof."

Tai smiled and kissed her, letting the warm feeling linger on her lips as he slowly let her go.

"Be safe," he wished. "Come home soon."

"I will Tai. I promise."

She turned to leave, only to spin around and pull him close once more. Headlights began to fill the room with light from the outside, alerting her it was time to leave. She pulled away, eyes half hooded in yearning.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Without another word, Summer scurried over to the window and slipped out, the act causing Tai to chuckle. She slid down the side of the wall and landed on her feet, running to the front of the house just as the car came to a halt. She didn't even wait for James to open the door. They'd done this song and dance so much it's become second nature.

He had the back windows all rolled down already.

Summer grabbed hold of the roof and stuck her legs in, falling into the seat with a soft thud as the car took off back toward the station.

"I have an intruder," James teased. "How did she get into my car?"

"Intru-da-window," Summer snickered. "Ready for action, Jimbo?"

"As ready as one must be." He gave her a quick glance from the rearview mirror. "How's the family?"

"They're good." Summer sat upright, adjusting her collar and hat. "It's amazing how fast kids grow. Yang's only thirteen and she's already almost as tall as I am."

"That's not saying much."

"Rude. How did Willow take the alert?"

"Not too well," James sighed. "But she knows how important this work is. I just hope someday she and I can come to agreements on it like you and Tai."

"Tai was discharged, so he has firsthand experience on how shitty this job is. And even then, he hates it when I have to go."

"Willow hates when I have to leave."

"Life sure can be a bitch, huh?"

"Totally."

The rest of the car ride remained silent as they made their way to the station.

They had a job to do after all.

They pulled up to the station and jumped out, holding out their passes so the security droids didn't attempt to shoot them with their tasers. James got on board before her due to his long legs, but he refused to sit until she had made it to the Captain's chair. Bart was already running calculations while Glynda stood at attention with Leo. Summer waved absentmindedly, signaling them to get to work.

"Begin take off sequence," James ordered.

"Magnetic barriers are intact," Bart called rapidly."Atomic boiler pressure is a go. Cylinder valves are open, warp drive coupling is in place and the main circuit is online."

"All systems green, Captain Rose," Glynda said.

Leo looked up from his station, a nervous smile on his face. "Awaiting takeoff on your command."

"Let's get those passengers home," said Summer. "Full ahead!"

**_"YES, CAPTAIN!"_ **

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby and Yang crawled out from the pipe, slinking carefully between two of the coaches and using the couplings to give them a boost onto the platform, losing her shoe in the process. Yang's eyes widened in awe as they made their way toward the front to look over the train. The sleek red paint job seemed to take on a more ethereal shine when observed from up close.

Taking a closer peak, she could just make out flecks of gold within the coat. On the side of the tender were four marks painted into a corner that she recognized as the family emblems. The white rose for Summer, the dragon's heart for Taiyang, and the gear embellished eyes of the corvids that Qrow seemed to favor.

"This is amazing," Ruby sighed. "It looks so much more amazing up close, doesn't it?"

Yang nodded in agreement. "The train looks amazing. I'd love to fly on it someday."

"Me too."

**_"INTRUDERS!"_ **

The girls spun around, eyes wide as several guard bots began to roll toward them, pincers prepped and ready for them. Yang grabbed Ruby's hand and ran, heading in the direction of the caboose.

**_"STOP!"_** the bots called. **_"HALT! INTRUDER ALERT!"_**

"Yang, just leave me!" Ruby cried. "They can't catch us both if we split up!"

"Oh no you don't!" Yang growled. "I'm not letting my baby sis getting caught by some old tin cans!"

Yang grabbed hold of a handle bar and pulled herself onto one of the open coaches, tossing Ruby forward just as the doors began to shut. The momentum caused her to fall forward, but neither of them moved right away.

The doors closed, the floor shook, and the train began to take off.

"Shit!" Yang hissed. She flew to her feet and went over to the window, watching as the platform vanished and the ground began to grow farther and smaller.

Ruby stood on her toes to look through the window, pulling her hood up to try and hide how nervous she was. "Dad and Uncle Qrow are going to kill us for this."

"Not before mom does," Yang grumbled.

"Maybe we could jump?"

"At this height we'd be pancakes."

"I like pancakes."

Yang rolled her eyes and the two of them watched as the earth below vanished. The sky grew darker, slowly filling with star upon star the further up they went. Soon they were able to see all of Patch, as well as several other celestial bodies they'd never even dreamed of.

Yang felt something stirring within her heart. Something strong, tugging her along and urging her to explore.

**_"Hey."_ **

Yang felt an arm reach around and pick her up by her torso. Someone tall with dark hazel eyes began carrying her under their arm like a sack of potatoes, with Ruby dangling by the hoodie from their other hand like a newborn kitten. Ruby's arms and hands even curled in that familiar pattern.

"You two aren't supposed to be here," they mumbled.

"You jerk!" Yang screeched, reaching for their beard. "You put us down right now! You can't treat us like this!"

They glanced down at her, a look of mild annoyance in their light hazel eyes. "You two are trespassing. It's my job to deal with trespassers."

"You try anything and our mom will kick your ass!"

"Y-yeah!" Ruby cheered. "Our mom's the Captain and she'll kick your ass if you do anything weird."

The officer let out a sigh of annoyance and turned to walk back to the main engine. "Then let's see what she has to say about this."

_Oh god,_ Yang thought. _We're so screwed._

 

* * *

 

 

Taiyang left the bathroom after locking up the medicine cabinet. It wasn't often the old wounds flared, but when they did, they hurt bad. And it always seemed to be when Summer left. Perhaps it was just him overexerting himself whenever she was around. Maybe it was just a coincidence. He didn't know.

Taiyang glanced at the door to the girls' shared room. He didn't want to wake them, especially after Summer said to let them rest. But he knew how much it hurt to wake up and find that someone you love left in the middle of the night. It hurt a lot more than anything else.

_Maybe I should wake them,_ he thought. _Take them as far as I can to the station so we can see Summer off together. They'd love that._

After a second of debate, Tai went to their room and gently knocked on the door. There wasn't a response, but that was to be expected. They rarely stayed up past midnight. Quietly, he began to open the door.

"Yang?" he called softly. "Ruby? Kids, I need to talk to you about-"

His blue eyes widened in fear as he saw the empty beds and open window. Their shoes were gone, and the entire room felt cold.

"Oh god. Oh hell no!"

Taiyang turned and hurried out the door, grabbing his keys and hopping into the car to try and get to the station. There was no other place those two would go at this hour given the circumstances. He just had to hope that they were there when he arrived. That they'd be safe.

_It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement. Dammit, I should have paid closer attention!_

Taiyang pulled up to the station, jumping out of the car without bothering to close the door. He ran up the steps, screaming out for the girls as the guard bots came over toward him. The platforms were empty, and there were no engines on the tracks. The station master came running out of the office, chasing after him as Tai stopped at the edge of the platform.

There, laying on the edge of the tracks, was one of Yang's sneakers.

"Dammit!" he screamed. "I'm too late!"

"Hey you!" the station master spat. "You're not supposed to be here without a pass!"

Taiyang spun around, glaring at the man. The bastard always showed up after it was too late. He wanted nothing more than to punch him senseless. "Where's the Crescent Rose?!"

"Oh, it's you." The station master rolled his eyes, waving the droids away. "What the hell Taiyang. Ain't your fancy back doctors tell you not to run and jump like that? Heard you flew over the counter at work today."

"They're called a chiropractor and a neurologist," Tai seethed, grabbing him by the collar. "And you aren't answering my question. **_Where's. The damn. TRAIN?!"_**

"T-took off already! About two minutes ago, you just missed it!"

"Then call the damn train back!"

"I don't have that kind of clearance! And why the fuck would I need to anyway?!"

"Because my kids snuck out of bed and into the station!" Taiyang turned him in the direction of the track, pointing at the shoe. "Seeing as there's no blood on the damn tracks, I'm pretty fucking sure Yang and Ruby ended up on the train while you were meant to be keeping watch!"

The station master's eyes widened in fear. "I-I'll try to contact someone at HQ right away, but I don't think we'll be able to tell them to have the team turn around. They're en route to a rescue!"

"I know that! Just call someone-"

Taiyang dropped him, his muscles tensing up as waves of pain shot through his spine. He collapsed to the ground as the pain slowly took over. He knew he was overdoing it the past week. He'd been trying to pull back, like the doctors warned.

But today he went too far.

"Taiyang?!" the station master gasped. "You okay?!"

"I'm fine," Tai hissed. "Just...need a minute..."

"I-I'll call an ambulance-"

"The girls first."

"But you're-"

Taiyang shot him a look and the station master backed off, hurrying inside to try and get in contact with HQ before returning to his side. The world felt like it was spinning and everything hurt. But he didn't care. He didn't care that the old injuries were flaring up again. He didn't care that he was out in the cold, only now realizing he forgot to grab his own shoes and a shirt. He didn't care any anything else in the universe right now.

He just wanted his girls to be safe.

 

* * *

 

The Crescent Rose slowly pulled up beside the damaged passenger train. Summer took a deep breath to steady herself. This was always the hardest part of a rescue operation for her. You never knew what was going to happen the moment you open the door to a wreck. Would everyone be okay? Would the people be injured? Would there be casualties?

Would there be a sneak attack waiting for them?

_"Qrow, look out!"_

_"Tai!"_

Feeling her left hand shaking, Summer clenched her fist and looked to her crew. They were all waiting for instructions as always.

_Don't get distracted now, Summer. Now's not the time._

"Alright everyone," she declared. "I want this operation to run as calmly and as smoothly as possible. If the barrier breaches we're all dead. Get those passengers off that wreck and let's get them the hell out of here."

"Yes, ma'am!" the crew cheered.

**_"Let me go, you big bully!"_ **

As they all stood to get to work, the door to the bridge opened and everyone turned around to see the tall frame of Hazel saunter in and drop two girls onto the floor at Summer's feet. He remained calm as he adjusted his coat. Summer's silver gaze flew wide in fear as she saw who it was he had left before her.

"Ow," Ruby grumbled. "That hurt."

"I found these two while doing my rounds," Hazel explained. "They claim that they're your little girls, Captain."

"It's not a claim," Yang growled. "It's the truth."

Summer helped them to their feet while the rest of the crew went about their duties, putting on the disappointed stare to mask her own worry. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

Ruby and Yang shuffled on their feet, shoulders hunched. Yang was fiddling with her fingers while Ruby looked up at Summer with a determined sparkle.

"We're sorry, mom," Yang mumbled.

"Very sorry," Ruby added.

"We just wanted to come see you off, and the bots started chasing us and-"

"I wanna help with the rescue mission!" Ruby puffed out her chest, throwing a fist in the air with excitement. "I want to be part of the SDF too! Let me help-"

**_"Don't be stupid!"_** Summer bellowed, causing them to curl up more on themselves. "This is a dangerous situation! Anyone could get hurt at any moment! You shouldn't be here! You're supposed to be at home in bed safe and sound!"

The girls said nothing as Summer turned to check one of the terminals, pulling up video feed on the situation at hand. Glynda and Bart were busy having those who can walk move to the coaches while James and Leo were taking injured people to the medical bay. Hazel was working on getting a broken door open to free the passengers inside.

_I should be out there helping._

"Mom..."

Summer looked back to Ruby and Yang, and her stern facade began to crack as she saw them tearing up. She hated yelling at the girls, and avoided doing so as often as possible. She knelt before them, lightly wiping the tears away.

"Come on now," she said. "Let's just focus on getting you and the other passengers to safety."

Summer took the girls and made her way to the coach block, settling them in the seat nearest to the main engine before making the rounds and checking in with the passengers as they all got settled. She took a moment and hopped into the cars of the 718, helping escort some of the older passengers to safety. Along the way she came across a small plush bear, black with a white mask and red detailing. She asking around, she eventually found the child who it belonged to, a little boy with long black hair and a pink streak.

"Is this little one yours?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Thank you very much."

"You're very welcome." She tilted her head, trying to figure out if she knew him from somewhere."I'm sorry, but would you happen to be related to Li Ren?"

The little boy smiled, his magenta eyes shining like stars. "Yes, Captain. He's my father."

"That must mean you're little Lie." Summer reached into her pocket, pulling out one of the small star pins she kept on hand for children and attached it to his coat with his permission. "You're being very brave. What brings you out so far from home?"

"Mother and I were on our way to visit him," he explained. "You know my father?"

"I've had the chance to work with him. He's a fine officer, and I know he'll be excited to see you." She looked around, wondering why the boy was alone. "Where is your mother, An?"

"I don't know. I think she's still on the other train."

"I'll go find her. You wait here, okay?"

"Okay."

Summer hurried back to the 718, intent on finding An.

 

* * *

 

 

It was early in the morning when Qrow hopped out of the shower. It wasn't everyday he got the chance to just sit down and relax. Being in the Patch system always allowed for a proper breather. And things with the Vega Platoon were always more chill compared to other teams. Peach always seemed to have a bright and cheery disposition to her, and Li somehow managed to bring all of the room to a calm state of mind by his presence alone. Qrow didn't know what it was about them, but he felt right at home there.

Pulling out the green uniform, he looked out the window to see the sun beginning to rise. The rosy hues made his heart swell with joy. Gold, white, red, all calling out to him with loving shades. It reminded him of home.

"Why'd we have to stop on Vytal of all places," he groaned, slipping into his trousers. "Why couldn't we have stopped on Patch proper? That would have been better."

**_"You're right about that, Branwen."_ **

Qrow fell back, pants only halfway on. In the doorway was Li, already dressed for the day and holding back a chuckle.

"Dammit Ren," Qrow growled. "You're too quiet. How am I supposed to know when you're there?"

"When I want you to," Li said. "Get dressed. We're heading out."

"Already?"

"There's been a derailment on the 718. Sirius Platoon is handling it, but we've been called in as backup seeing as we're closest. Captain just got off the call with Bart a moment ago."

"Sweet." Qrow quickly slipped on his shirt and coat, grinning in excitement. "Maybe I can see the family afterwards."

Li's tiny smile faded as he turned away. "You will be seeing them. Your nieces are on board the Crescent Rose, as are my wife and son, according to Oobleck’s report."

All the joy that Qrow had been feeling vanished in an instant. "Why are they there?!"

"My family was coming to visit. Yours snuck on. Come on. We need to hurry."

"Hurry is an understatement!"

He didn't bother trying to put his boots and belt on. He just grabbed them and ran toward the train with the rest of the team, praying the worst hasn't happened.

 

* * *

 

 

Summer returned An to her son with no problems. She had been in the restrooms at the time of the derailment, and their medical android had tended to the few cuts she had sustained. Other than that, the Rens were completely safe.

Summer spent the rest of the time helping the passengers until the last one was taken to the medical bay. She stood tall near the front of the coaches, removing her hat as the conductor and the engineers came over to speak with her.

"Thank you for everything," one of the engineers muttered.

"Of course," she said. "You've all been through quite the ordeal. I know it must have been terrifying, but you've done so well in keeping the peace until we arrived. You should all be proud of yourselves. Well done."

"Thank you, Captain," said the conductor.

Summer smiled and gave them a salute, holding in a giggle as she heard Ruby talking about how cool she was. As much as she'd like to show off, this was neither the time nor the place. She stepped into the main engine and looked to her crew, all of whom appeared to be ready to go.

"Are we ready to head out?" Summer asked.

"Captain," Glynda said. "You better take a look at this. There appears to be a ship coming out of the white hole."

Summer came over to the terminal, her heart beating a mile a minute as the image of the ship came into view. It was larger than any vessel she'd ever seen before. Red with black and gold details, mighty canons on the bow.

"Not good," she said. "Full ahead now, before they fire at us!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The train began to pull ahead as the enemy ship began to fire at them. The energy blasts struck the 718, causing pieces to fly off and hit the fighter coach near the back. The train shook momentarily before quickly recovering. Summer gripped the edge of her seat tightly to steady herself.

"Indirect hit!" James called.

"Permission to return fire, Captain?!" Leo squeaked.

"Negative!" Summer cried. "We only return fire if they pursue. Our focus is getting the passengers-"

"Captain!" Bart interjected. "The enemy is sending fighter jets after us!"

_Dammit! I wanted to get this done with a little conflict as possible._

"Opening orbit shields," James said. "Pulse cannons ready to fire."

"On my mark!" Summer said. **_"Fire!"_**

The canons began firing as Summer stepped back into the coach block to soothe some of the passengers. Ruby and Yang had left their seats and were looking out the windows, watching the explosions. They were huddled so close to each other, she could barely see Ruby behind Yang's mane.

"Get away from there, girls," she said. "It's dangerous."

The children stepped away, jumping as the train shook from the force of the attack. Ruby looked so small, Summer couldn't help but feel her heart aching.

_They shouldn't be here._

"Mom," Ruby whimpered. "I'm scared."

"Don't worry, Ruby. You'll both be fine, I promise."

The ship began to shake violently as a few more shots began to hit the canons. One of the enemy fighters flew past the window, its wing falling off and flying off and toward them. The blinding light of the explosions outside lit up the entire coach. Summer didn't have time to think. She ran forward and tackled the girls to the ground. The wing crashed against the coach and bounced off, causing the walls and door to dent and some of the glass to shatter. One piece managed to cut over her brow, barely missing the rest of her eye.

"Yang!" she screamed. "Ruby! Can you two hear me?!"

The girls looked up and Yang let out a gasp. "Mom, you're bleeding!"

"I'm more worried about you two." She helped them up, giving them a reassuring grin to help keep them calm. "You alright?"

"I'm okay," Ruby said.

"Same," Yang said.

"Good," Summer sighed. "You're both very brave and strong. I'm very proud of you."

The girls said nothing as Summer went back to the main engine. "I want fighters out there and I want them now! And send out a distress call. We need backup to protect the passengers!"

 “Already called backup!” Bart cried. “Vega Platoon is on the way!”

"Sending fighters!" James called, turning to look at her. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the blood. "Captain, you're injured!"

"T'is but a scratch," she said. "Focus on getting us out of here-"

"Captain!" Leo screamed. "The ship will be clearing the white hole in eight minutes and all the fighters have been struck down!"

**_"What?!"_ **

Leo pulled up the video feed just as the last of their fighters was blown to pieces. "See?!"

The train shook again and the alarms began to blare loudly.

"Captain!" Glynda called. "The fighter coach has sustained major damage!"

"Isolating it now," Hazel said calmly. "Fighter coach has been isolated. All partition walls are sealed."

**_"Incoming fire!"_ **

**_"DIVERT ALL POWER TO THE SHIELDS!"_ **

**_"THERE'S NO TIME!"_ **

**_"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"_ **

The blast struck them, causing the systems to start sparking. Everyone gripped their seats tightly, trying to remain calm. Several of the screens began to crack, while the ones near Glynda and Hazel shattered completely, injuring both of them. Bart let out a scream as part of the system shocked him. James and Leo caught him as he fell from his seat when the train stabilized again.

_This isn't good, Summer thought. The enemy is going to clear the hole in a few minutes. We can't let them proceed any further, but we can't risk the passengers. Backup should be on the way but we can't afford to wait._

_I'm going to have to do it._

**_"Mom?!"_ **

Summer spun around to see the girls standing in the doorway. They weren't hurt, but they looked terrified. Understandably so. She knelt beside them, instinctively putting a star pin on each of their shirts with a smile.

"You're going to be fine, girls," she promised. "I'm sending you both back to your father. You're going to be okay."

"Promise?" Ruby asked.

"I promise."

"Captain?"

Summer looked at her crew, heart heavy as she observed the damage. Hazel's arms were beginning to bleed from beneath his coat. Glynda was barely able to stay upright. Leo had Bart on his back. James seemed to have gained a new cut over his right eye. Standing up straight, Summer clenched her fists and threw her shoulders back.

_You can do this. You have to._

"Alright team," she said boldly. "It's time to show these losers that our strength goes beyond guns, steel, and strategy. That it goes beyond the very limits of the soul!"

"Yes ma'am!" they cheered in unison.

"From this moment onward I'm placing full command of the Sirius Platoon in the hands of First Officer James Ironwood."

James looked at her, slack jawed and fearful. "But Captain, what about-"

"Listen to me!" James clammed up and everyone stood as attentive as they could. "I want all of you to move to the coach block and use the auxiliary power to get yourselves as far away from here as possible. I'll use Crescent Rose as a decoy so you all can escape. Backup should be here soon enough."

"But mom," Ruby piped up. "Crescent Rose isn't a match for that ship. What'll happen to you? You're coming back with us right? Right?"

Summer closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself before turning to look at the girls. Her smile remained loving and tender, showing no traces of the fear she held deep in her soul.

"Girls, listen closely," she said. "Whether I make it through this or not, no matter what happens, I'll always be your mother. I want you both to remember that I love you very much. I love you and am very happy to have been in your lives as much as I have." She pulled them both close, hugging them as tightly as she could. "Ruby, I'm counting on you to look after your dad for me."

Ruby shook her head, not wanting to accept what was happening. "Mommy?"

"Yang, you have no idea how proud I am of you, my sunny little dragon."

"Mom," Yang whispered. "Please don't-"

"I'm counting on you both to look after each other. Take care of each other, and never give up on life. Keep moving forward, you hear me? Don't ever stop. Promise me you will."

"We promise," they croaked.

"Good." Summer kissed them both on the cheek before handing them to James. "James, this ship is in your care now. I'm counting on you."

"I'll do my best," he promised.

"Thank you." She looked to the rest of her crew, trying hard not to break down. "All of you. No matter where you go from here, look out for each other."

"Yes Captain," they muttered.

Without another word, Summer stepped aside and watched as all of them filed into the coach block. James set the kids down and proceeded to input the code needed to detach the cars from the engine.  Soon the space between them began to grow, and Summer stood at salute as she watched them leave.

"To our commander and friend," James stammered. "Captain Summer Rose." Those who were able to saluted with tears in their eyes.

"Mom, wait!" Ruby screamed. "Please don't go! I can't live without you! Come back, please!"

Summer wanted to turn back. She wanted to jump off and head back. But someone needed to drive the train, and she wasn't about to sacrifice the rest of her crew to take out the threat before her. Without a goodbye, she turned back inside and closed the door just as Yang began to cry.

**_"MOMMY!"_ **

Summer went over to the terminal, imputing the command to enable all available power to the main battery. The train would collide with the ship, and the others would be safe and sound. She collapsed to the floor, pulling out her pocket watch as the tears began to fall. She looked down at the photograph inside, her eyes meeting with the image of her husband and brother-in-law hugging the girls.

"Tai," she whispered. "It'll be a long time this time, my dearest. Qrow, I'm afraid we can't have drinks anymore. I'll tell Raven you all say hello. Take care of the girls for me." She clutched it tightly, pulling it close to her chest as she felt the tears begin to fall. "I love you all so much... "

_I don't want to die alone!_

The darkened engine room slowly began to fill with a loving green light, prompting Summer to look ahead. There before her was the holographic image of a person with hair of stardust, dressed in various gem-like greens, with a cape that hung off their arms and shoulders that held the entire universe within it.

"Supreme Commander? Is that...is that really you, Ozpin?"

The image knelt before her, placing a hand to her shoulder as they spoke in a loving voice. "Are you really going, Summer?"

Through her tears, she managed a soft nod. "Yes, Oz. I am. There was no other way." It was all she could do to hold back her screams. "Though you know that better than anyone."

"Are you saying you're giving up?"

"Never. I'm fighting until the end."

"Then stand up," Ozpin urged. "I will stand by your side until the end, my friend. For I-no. For we are Destiny. And we are not alone."

Summer pulled herself to her feet, standing tall and saluting her commander with a smile as they returned the gesture. The green light encompassed the whole train, and Summer felt them being propelled forward.

 

* * *

 

 

It took less than half a minute for the enemy ship and Crescent Rose to be completely obliterated the moment they made contact. The immediate area was set alight by the fiery explosion, bathing everyone in a cold, golden glow.  It was all James could do to pull his eyes away.

_Focus James,_ he told himself. _You have a job to do._

"Alright everyone," he said. "Head to the medical coach and get treated as much as possible. I'll look after the passengers."

"I'll help once I get Barty settled," Leo stammered.

"Lean on me, Glynda," Hazel muttered. "Let's get you checked out. That bump on your head looks nasty."

"I'll get you all patched up," Leo assured. "Come on."

James watched as the crew marched their way down to the medical coach before turning to look at the two children before him. Yang was completely silent, her normally lilac eyes now holding a dark blue tint. Ruby was on her knees, balling her eyes out as she repeated _"Mommy, come back"_ over and over under her breath.

_I can't imagine how they must feel right now,_ he thought. _Though...I kind of understand._

"Come on girls," he whispered, gently picking them up off the ground and carrying them in his arms, letting them cry into his shoulders as he began to make his rounds.

Everything felt like a blur. He barely heard anyone. All there was in his mind was a dull buzz as the passengers asked what was going on. He went through the motions, reassuring them that help was on the way. He didn't quite believe it himself though. He felt like no one was going to come for them. That they were going to just float there until the power ran out.

_It's what I deserve at least._

**_"James?"_ **

James froze, slowly turning to meet with a pair of soft magenta eyes. Of all the people he expected, An Ren wasn't one of them.

"Hello, An," he said.

"What's going on?" the boy beside her asked. "Where is Captain Rose?"

"She's..." James couldn't say it. Not right now. Not with the girls there.

An seemed to pick up on his hesitation and stood, holding her arms out. "Here, I'll look after the children for you. You take care of your duties."

James managed a smile and handed the girls over to her. "Take good care of them, An. They need someone like you right now."

"Of course."

After making sure the girls were settled, James continued on, glancing back only for a moment to see An's little boy talking to Yang while Ruby continued to weep in her lap.

Slowly, he made his way to the medical coach, glancing in as Leo finished making sure the others were settled. Glynda was hooked up to an IV while Bart was being checked over by every available scanner. By the looks of things they'd lost quite a few operating systems. If they hadn't, Hazel wouldn't be getting his arms wrapped in bandages as opposed to the more careful and precise skin graph droid they were used to having. Those were going to be some nasty scars.

_Having this few operating systems in the medical coach is dangerous. I'll need to make a note of this and think up a solution. There has to be something we can do. Perhaps a more advanced robot that can sustain this level of action. I'll talk it over with the guys at the ward when we get back._

_If we get back._

_"James, this ship is in your care now. I'm counting on you."_

_"Mom, wait! Please don't go! I can't live without you! Come back, please!"_

_"MOMMY!"_

**_"James?"_ **

James snapped back to reality, only just realizing he had tuned out. His breathing was shallow, and he could feel his heart beating a mile a minute. He looked down and saw Leo looking up at him, wringing his hands fearfully as he did his damnedest to stay standing tall.

"What is it, Leo?" he managed.

"W-we just got an incoming signal," Leo stammered. "Vega Platoon should be here in about three minutes."

_Three minutes. That's too long. They should have been here sooner._

"Thank you, Leo. Continue the rounds and let me know immediately of anything of note, understood?"

"Yes, Captain." With a soft bow, Leo turned away and began to walk the coaches to check on the passengers, leaving James alone with his own thoughts.

_I shouldn't be the Captain. It's supposed to be Summer. Why didn't Vega get here sooner? Wait, stop it James. They are doing their best. We all are. Don't go blaming Vega for this. Remain calm. The Platoon needs you._

_"This ship is in your care now."_

"I have to remain calm," he whispered. "I can't afford to break yet." He glanced around the coach one more time before continuing on his way. He had to make sure that the caboose was ready for Vega's arrival.

                       

* * *

 

 

Peach sent Li and Qrow to make sure the passengers were okay while they hooked the train cars together.

Li focused on the injured first, getting them to their medical officer for more treatments as Qrow made a quick trip up and down the coach block it inform the passengers that they'd be taken to the nearest planet due to safety. Afterwards, the two of them went to find their family. James personally lead them to An's seat, remaining virtually monotoned and emotionless.

"An!" Li gasped. "Lie!"

"Father!" Lie jumped out of his seat, hugging his father tightly as An came and joined them.

Ruby looked up from her seat, her eyes puffy and red. "Uncle Qrow?"

"I'm here," he said, pulling them close. "I've got you, girls. Uncle Qrow's got you." Yang mumbled something into his coat that he couldn't quite make out as he looked to James. "Where's Summer, Jim?"

James' body stiffened and Qrow felt his heart begin to crack. It couldn't be true. There was just no way it was possible.

"Jim," he said again. "Do you know where the Captain is?"

James stared him down, voice hollow as he stated in a smooth, cold tone, "You're looking at him. I'm the Captain now. Summer...she's gone."

Everything felt as if it were crashing down right then and there. The car became silent as the whistle of the Melodic Cudgel screeched. Those words were not ones he was meant to hear coming from James' mouth. Those were words that weren't ever meant to be uttered. It was wrong. It was all wrong.

_There has to be a mistake,_ he thought. _There has to be some kind of mistake. Summer can't be dead. She just can't be. She promised she'd never leave. She promised not to leave like Raven did!_

"You're sure?" he muttered.

"I'm afraid so," James said. "I'm sorry, Qrow."

"S'fine, I just-"

"I know."

"I know you know...follow me..."

Qrow said nothing more to him and took Yang and Ruby to the medical block on Vega's train, tucking the two of them into one of the few spare beds after making doubly sure they had no injuries. Given the state of the rest of the train, he thought it was a miracle they didn't get hurt.

_Summer must have been protecting them._

"I'm gonna go out and inspect the wreckage," Qrow said. "You feeling up to coming with me?" James nodded and the two of them headed to the fighter coach, with Qrow giving his Captain a heads up as they slipped into their space suits.

"You got two minutes, Qrow," Peach said. "We have to get these passengers home."

"If we're not back by then, leave without us," he grumbled. "These jets have enough fuel to get us back to Patch. We'll meet you there if you head out. Though I doubt we'll need that long."

"You're lucky you're fast."

"My last date would disagree with you."He climbed up into the front seat, clenching his fists as James got buckled in. "Hey Jim?"

"Yes Qrow?" James asked.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but...could you come back with me to drop off the girls? I just..."

James reached forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just what?"

_Come on, Qrow. Just say it._

"I just...I can't face Tai alone."

James managed a smile, letting out a soft hum of agreement as Qrow gave his hand a squeeze. "Let's go check the wreckage."

"Let's."

 

* * *

 

 

It was almost sundown when Taiyang met them on the porch. Matte had been looking after him after the hospital discharged him. It was just a bad muscle spasm, that was it. Nothing more, nothing less, but he was still supposed to rest in bed for a few days. He was used to it. He didn't care anymore.

Right now, all he cared about was his family coming home.

So when Qrow called the house and told them that they were coming back, he grabbed his cane and asked Matte to help him out front. He didn't care that it would put himself back a week. Matte kept telling him that he should be in bed. He knew they cared, but after much insistence, they made it out just as the car pulled up. Qrow came out first followed by James, both of them opening the back doors to let Yang and Ruby out of the back seat.

"Dad!"

"Daddy!"

"Girls!" Taiyang felt a wave of relief as they came running toward him. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"We're so sorry," muttered Ruby. "We're so sorry, dad."

"It's all our fault," Yang whimpered.

Tai looked between them, perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

Qrow and James stepped up, gun and pocket watch in hand. Taiyang watched as they held them out to him. He looked closely at them, and the world began to shatter. The watch had the same emblem as Ruby's new locket. The same one that was painted on the side of the train when they were cadets. He took it and the gun, looking between the officers as he silently pleaded with them.

"Tai," Qrow said slowly.

"Where's Summer?" he asked.

Qrow looked at his feet, biting his lip. "She's not coming, Tai."

Tai nearly fell backwards as the realization hit him. First Raven was taken away, and now Summer. It had to be a lie. It wasn't possible.

"I'm sorry, Taiyang," James said. "Summer was more than a commander. She was my best friend. I'm so, so sorry." He saluted him for a moment, only for his facade to begin cracking when the sound of a whine came from beside his feet.  "Zwei..."

Taiyang lightly snapped his finger and the corgi came over to him, curling up in between the family as Tai pulled the girls in for a tight embrace. He could feel the tears forming on his face as they all sank to the ground. The world vanished.

All that was there, was him and the girls.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**_ FOUR YEARS LATER _ **

 

 

"Gauntlets?"

"Check."

"Toolkit"

"Check."

"Lunch, wallet, rail pass-"

"Check, check, and check."

Yang stood with her family near the edge of the parking lot by the station. She had been preparing for this day for years. Finally, she was going into space on her own terms. Matte was going to meet her at the main station once she reached Vale, and the two of them would head over to the SPG HQ together. Being accepted into the Space Panzer Grenadiers wasn't easy, and being given an opportunity this young was a once in a lifetime offer. She wasn't going to pass it up.

_It's finally time to move forward._

"Are you sure you have everything?" Tai asked. "You sure you don't want me to come with you-"

"Dad, it's fine," Yang snickered. "Go straight home after I take off. You're supposed to be resting, remember?"

"I know."

She gave him a hug, smiling fondly as he held her close. She couldn't help but wonder if this might be the last time she'd see her father.

_This must be what mom always felt._

"You're sure this is what you want?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she said. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll look after things while you're gone," Ruby promised. "I swear."

"I know you will, Rubes." Yang pulled away from them and began to make her way toward the platform. "See you later guys!"

"Bye!" Tai called.

"Bye, Yang!" said Ruby cheerfully.

Yang climbed up the steps and over to the platform, holding up her rail pass as she approached. There waiting for her was Fenix, the station master who'd been assigned there just last year. He was holding up a sign that said "Good Luck, Yang!".

"Cheesy much?" she giggled.

"Gotta wish the town beauty luck," he shrugged. "All your fans are already there with good wishes and presents."

Yang rolled her eyes as she caught a glimpse of the small crowd cheering her name. "Of course. Did you put them in a bag?"

Fenix held out a plastic bag, throwing her a wink. "Taken care of, Xiao Long."

"Thanks Atar. Look after things, okay?"

"You got it."

Yang walked over to the train, taking a deep breath as she approached the door. It was finally time.

_Once I board, there's no going back._

She took a step forward and got on board. It didn't take long for her to find her seat. She made herself comfortable and looked out the window, waving pleasantly to the people calling her name. She normally liked the attention, but today it was just white noise. She bounce slightly as the train slowly began to pull forward.

**_"YANG! YANG, WAIT!"_ **

_Ruby?_

Yang opened the window, lilac eyes wide as she saw her sister running after the train. She was scrambling to keep up, nearly tripping several times as the distance began to grow.

"What are you doing?!" Yang called.

"You forgot something!" Ruby cried. "Here, catch!"

Ruby threw something and Yang held out her hand, just barely managing to catch it. It was old, round, and had faded red strings. Yang felt all her fears melt away at the sight of it.

_The old baseball. Thanks little sister._

"Bye Ruby!" Yang called one last time before closing the window.

"Bye sis! I love you!"

Yang curled up in her seat, closing her eyes and letting herself drift to sleep, hoping to dream of games gone by.

It was a long ride ahead after all.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Plagued by visions of Summer's end, and her heart weighed down with the nature of her decisions, Yang Xiao Long courageously set off for the far reaches of the universe. But what soon followed was unexpected, and would cement both her place and her sister's in the grand design Destiny had in store for them. _

 

* * *

 

 

**_ THREE YEARS LATER _ **

 

 

 

It was almost a week from her birthday. Ruby couldn't wait for it. Yang had promised to come home for it, and her uncle was also going to try and make it. It'd be the first time in years since the whole family got together. She was so excited she could barely sleep.

She spent the morning getting dressed, making sure to put on her locket after slipping on her favorite black turtleneck sweater. Red jeans, black boots, grey vest. Not the best outfit in the world, but it would make do until the laundry was finished. They had a lot to do to prepare. Dishes needed washed, laundry to wash, sheets to change. Anything and everything to make the house presentable.

Once she was satisfied with how she looked, Ruby made her way downstairs, calling Zwei out of hiding as the phone began to ring. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air from the kitchen table. It was rare for Tai to cook first thing in the morning these days. He must have been feeling better.

**_"DAD!"_** Ruby shouted as she took her seat. **_"PHONE!"_**

"No need to yell!" he cackled. He reached over and answered with a cheerful, "Yellow, Xiao Long-Rose residence!"

Ruby poured herself a glass of orange juice, slipping Zwei a piece of bacon as she went over her plans for the day. She had classes in the afternoon, leaving her free to help around the house. She planned on cleaning out the attic, and maybe help gather any of the fruits and veggies that were ready for harvest from the garden. The sooner she did, the less likely Zwei would be to chase cats through the flower beds.

"She can't be..."

Taiyang collapsed to the ground, the phone dangled loosely from his hand as he began to weep. Ruby rushed to his side, grabbing the phone from him.

"Dad?!" she gasped. "Dad, what's wrong?! Dad?!"

_"Mr. Xiao Long?"_ came a low voice from the other line. _"Are you there?"_

Ruby glared at the receiver before shouting, "Who the hell is this?! Why did you make my dad cry?!"

_"I'm sorry,"_ the voice said. _"Are you a relative of Yang Xiao Long?"_

Ruby felt all of her blood run cold. "Yes, I'm her little sister. Why? What's going on?"

_"Ah, so you're Ruby. My name is Winter Schnee, First officer of the Myrtenaster and member of the SPG."_

"Why would an SPG member be calling the house? Why not Yang?"

_"That's actually why I'm calling,"_ Winter explained.

_Please,_ Ruby begged. _Please don't say it._

_"I'm afraid that there's no good way to say this. It's about Yang."_

_Please don't._ "What about my sister?" _Just don't._ "What's wrong with Yang?"

Winter's voice became lower, more solemn with every passing word.

_"I'm very sorry, Ruby, but-"_

Everything began to vanish in an instant. Taiyang's cries were muffled. Zwei was nothing but a blip on the radar. All she could see was the fiery explosion of a train making contact with an enemy ship. All she saw was the tears. The huddled bodies and the blood and the wounds on officers long since separated.

The smile of a sister flying away for the first time.

_"Yang's gone. I'm very sorry."_


	2. Embers of Time

_The infinite Universe. Home to every living creature that exists upon the physical plane. Millions of souls set sail to travel through the ocean of stars. But for those who know of the dangers that lurk around every moon, it can become a cold, dark, and lonesome place. In what ways do those faced with hardship cope? Are there moments of reprieve, or do people simply fall deeper into their despair as the flames slowly engulf all they hold dear? Only time can tell whether or not such hardships are meant to pass. _

 

* * *

 

 

It had been almost a week since the news of Yang being killed in the line of duty on Mountain Glenn. Ruby found herself unable to focus. She and Tai felt like ghosts wandering aimlessly through the town. Everyone came by the moment they heard the news. Fenix offered to use his vacation to help look after things and help at the diner. Even Matte offered to come home and stay for a while. But they turned the offers down with a smile. They didn't mind everyone wanting to help, but right now, they just needed space. They also needed sleep, but the nightmares seemed to play in full force now.

Ruby spent the afternoon wandering around the town, passing by shops as she pulled her favorite shawl tightly around herself. The whistles of the train arriving at the station filled the air when she made her way toward the old school. The old pipe had been blocked off after everything that had happened with the 718 rescue. Many people have come by the diner offering condolences from various parts of the cosmos. The event had only happened less than a decade ago and already the great Captain Summer Rose had gone down in history.

 _Will people remember Yang like mom?_ Ruby wondered. _Will there be people who think back on her fondly? Will she be seen as a hero?_

Ruby kept walking, slowly making her way to her favorite cliffside hangout. She hadn't been there since Yang left. She thought back to all the times she watched the skies, hoping to catch a glimpse of Crescent Rose in all its glory. She always enjoyed watching the trains flying through the air like falling stars.

Nowadays, they seemed like nothing but a cruel reminder of things long gone.

The sun had begun to vanish beyond the horizon when Ruby made it to the hill leading to her watch point, gazing at her feet as she made her way upward. Every step felt heavier than the last. She couldn't seem to bring herself to run up anymore.

**_"About time you showed up."_ **

Ruby nearly tripped over her own feet as she looked at the top, eyes wide as she saw her father and uncle standing side by side near the edge. Qrow wasn't in his usual uniform, having opted for a grey button up, a long red cape, and slacks. Taiyang was leaning on his cane, his favorite bandana tied tightly around his upper left arm. They were both smiling, trying to hide the pain in their eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked.

"Figured you'd make your way here eventually," Qrow explained. "I have the next three days off, so I thought I'd swing by."

"And I needed the fresh air," Tai said. "You?"

"Just...wandering." She stood beside them, letting Tai put an arm around her shoulders to keep himself steady. "You sure you're okay, dad? You had a pretty bad spasm this morning."

"I'll be fine," he assured. "Just needed to see the stars."

Ruby looked up, watching as the stars slowly came out of hiding. Each one had a kind of sad glint to their shine. As if one of their own had vanished from the universe.

_Of course they're sad. One of their own is gone._

The three of them stood in silence for what felt like years, the breeze lightly billowing through their hair. No one seemed to know what to say. Understandably so. There wasn't much one could say in such a situation. The happy family that should have been six had gone from a troop of five to three.

_How does one even begin to speak on such a matter?_

**_"YOU JERKS!"_ **

To Ruby and Tai's surprise, the answer appeared to be a caped man's squawk laced with the faint scent of whisky.

"Qrow?" Tai started.

 ** _"RAVEN YOU IDIOT!"_** Qrow shouted. **_"NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, I'M KICKING YOU IN THE SHINS! AND SUMMER, I'M GOING TO HAUNT YOUR ASS WHEN I DIE!"_**

Ruby's eyes flew wide in shock. "Uncle Qrow-"

Qrow looked at them, a devilish grin on his face. "Remember what we said as cadets, Tai-Tai? If any of us died?"

Realization dawned on his face and Taiyang stood up straight, taking a deep breath.

**_"RAVEN, IF YOU EVER COME BACK YOU'RE GROUNDED! NO DESSERT FOR A WEEK!"_ **

**_"YANG, WHEN I GET TO THE AFTER LIFE I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EARFUL!"_ **

**_"SUMMER, YOU OWE ME TWENTY LIEN WHEN I SEE YOU AGAIN!"_ **

"What are you doing?!" Ruby cried.

The two of them looked at her, tears in their eyes. Qrow pulled out a flask, taking a strong swig before passing it to Tai.

"It was something we promised each other," Qrow explained. "The next time we were all together, if we're starting to teeter off the edge again, we vent our frustrations. So that's what we're doing."

"It was Raven's idea," Tai chuckled. "It wasn't the most subtle, but it's definitely effective."

Ruby didn't quite understand, but she didn't protest. She remained silent and let them scream to their hearts content. Insults and promises. Confessions and secrets. She didn't really pay attention. She was still thinking about the last time she saw their smiles. Yang as she flew off into space. Summer as she wished them goodbye.

Ruby wanted to yell too.

But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

When the lads had their fill of bellowing, they made their way back down the hill toward town. Qrow helped Taiyang along while Ruby lingered back, glancing over her shoulder at the cliffside. It looked so empty there on its own. There was something missing. Was it a telescope? A tree? A statue maybe?

_A gravestone?_

_Don't think about it right now,_ she told herself. _You can't think about that now. You can't._

_"Keep moving forward, you hear me? Don't ever stop. Promise me you will."_

_You have other things to think about now._

The three of them returned to the house, and Taiyang went straight to bed after taking his medicine. Qrow sat at the kitchen table after pulling out the good whiskey, lightly swirling it around in his glass before taking a sip and mumbling something about someone named Roman kicking his ass. Ruby watched him from the doorway, arms crossed defensively as she planned what to say. There had to be something, anything she could say to break the ice.

"You know," Qrow sighed, "if you have something you wanna say, Short Stack, now's the time to do it."

 _Same old Qrow,_ she thought. Ruby walked over and sat across from him, hands on the table with a determined look in her eye. Neither said anything at first. They just stared at each other as Qrow poured them both a glass. Ruby didn't drink, but it was a habit of Qrow's to pour two when he wasn't alone.

"So?" he asked. "What's on your mind?" He looked over at the door, smiling when he saw it was empty. "If you got something private to say, now's the time to get it off your chest."

_Now or never._

"Qrow, I want to join the Space Defense Force."

Qrow stopped mid sip, brow raised in intrigue. "After all you've seen already, you want to throw your life away like that?"

"I've been thinking about it," Ruby said. "Dad still let me pursue combat training, yet I hadn't made a decision until now. But still I...I'm sure this is what I want."

Qrow looked her over before taking another swig. "No, Ruby, you're not. You're still doubting yourself-"

"No, I'm-"

"-and that's a good thing."

Ruby blinked at him, surprised. "What?"

Qrow set his glass down, lightly tracing his finger over the rim absentmindedly. "You know, I wasn't so sure this was what I wanted when I was your age. Back in the day I made a lot of...questionable decisions in an attempt to protect myself and my sister. We made choices and did things we ain't proud of. And there are days I wake up and wonder if this was really the life I wanted."

Ruby remained quiet, trying to process what he was talking about. It was rare, but when Qrow became tipsy, he tended to be loose with information about himself. Himself, her parents, their time together in the force. A lot she still didn't know.

A lot she really wanted to know.

"Are you saying," she asked slowly, "that you regret joining?"

Qrow let out a snicker as his eyes became soft. "Nah, I don't regret it. I saved a lot of people. Lost a lot of them too. I've made friends. And now I have the biggest family I ever wanted." He rolled his eyes, letting out a childish grumble. "Even if two of them get on my nerves."

"Those cadets you told dad about?"

"Tai told you about 'em, huh? Yeah, they're pretty hot headed. Most cadets are. Can't wait for the day Wukong is off my back. Hehe, that's still a ways off though."

"Really? How long does someone maintain cadet status?"

"Officially, it's four years, but sometimes it's a bit long-" He stopped, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're trying to get info from me. Tai wouldn't like that you're taking advantage of a drunk man's ramble, kiddo."

"I'm sorry." Ruby looked at her lap in shame. "You're right, you know. I am scared...I'm not sure this is for me...but...I still want to try."

"And why the hell would you wanna try?" Qrow downed another drink, his face turning a slight pink and his words starting to slur. "You and Tai have a comfy life here in a safe neighborhood on one of the most fucking peaceful planets ever. Why the hell would you wanna try and lay down yer life?"

"Because I promised mom!"

Qrow nearly dropped his glass in shock. Ruby rarely ever raised her voice in such a manner. "What do you mean you promised your mom?"

Ruby took a deep breath, blocking out the screams in her ears as she composed herself.

_"Incoming fire!"_

_"It's time to show these losers that our strength goes beyond guns, steel, and strategy."_

_"But Captain-"_

_"Keep moving forward, you hear me? Don't ever stop. Promise me you will."_

"On the day mom died," Ruby croaked, "she said to me and Yang that we were to take care of each other. That we were to keep moving forward and never give up. Mom died doing what she thought was right, protecting people. She made us swear that we weren't going to give up on life. Yang kept that promise to the end. Now it's my turn. I'm not going to give up. Even if I'm unsure now, even if I'm scared, I want to try!" Before Qrow could get another word in, Ruby grabbed the neglected glass of whiskey and downed it in one go, coughing at the sensation. "Ick! It burns!"

Qrow burst into laughter as Ruby's face went red from the sudden burst of hiccups. "You got a lot of spunk, Ruby. Sounded just like your mom right then."

"I _-hic-_ I did?"

"You sure did." He reached over and ruffled her hair, smiling as she giggled happily. "You got time to think it over kiddo. Just be patient. In the meantime, we gotta look after your dad, alright? And get you more training. Think you can work on that?"

Ruby nodded and the two of them finished their talk before heading off to bed. Qrow made sure to tuck her in, wishing her goodnight before heading toward the master bedroom to check on Taiyang. Zwei curled up with her, resting his head on her legs and letting out a soft yawn as the door closed.

For the first time in a week, Ruby slept peacefully the whole night through.

                       

* * *

 

 

**_ TWO YEARS LATER _ **

 

**_"RUBY ROSE! GET IN HERE THIS MINUTE!"_ **

**_"Coming!"_ **

Ruby hurried down the stairs, a spring in her step as she passed by Zwei. Things had been relatively peaceful lately. The town had gotten quite a few new residents, the diner had been busier than ever, and Ruby had completed her training at the local combat school. Things were looking good.

But there was still something weighing on her mind. Something she just wasn't sold on yet. Ruby had sent in her application and was waiting to hear back. She knew she had lots of time to make a decision, she wasn't sure if she was ready.

 _After all,_ she thought, _uprooting your entire life to go into space is a pretty big deal. Even if I'm accepted, it doesn't mean I'll go._

Ruby skipped into the kitchen, a gentle twirl in her landing as she gave her dad a pleasant grin. "Hey there, dad!"

Taiyang said nothing, arms crossed as he kept his eyes on the envelope on the table. There was an uneasy aura about him that Ruby rarely saw. She took a seat across from him, glancing at the mail on the table. There was an official stamp in the corner with an image of a train, and the delicate lettering spelt out her name clear as day.

"Dad?"

"You got mail," he muttered, lightly pushing it toward her. "I think you know what it is."

Hesitantly, Ruby reached for the envelope and swallowed, hands shaking slightly as she opened it, pulling out a letter and a rail pass.

"It's my rail pass," she gasped. "I've been accepted to the SDF?"

"Looks like it," said Tai, looking it over. "When were you planning on telling me you applied?"

Ruby felt herself shrinking with guilt. She knew she should have told him. Combat training was one thing. Knowing how to protect yourself was an important thing anyone should do. Tai knew that and let Ruby attend so that she knew how to look after herself. But this was something else entirely.

After all they've lost, she couldn't do it.

"I was wanting to tell you," she mumbled. "But I...Well..."

Taiyang stood up, straightening his apron, making his way over to the cupboard. "So, you're dead set on this? Nothing I say can convince you not to go?"

That was the million Lien question. She honestly didn't know. But she wanted to try and figure out if she was. There was no way to properly know until she actually left the house and was assigned a platoon. On the other hand, she knew very well what might happen if she did leave.

_"Keep moving forward, you hear me? Don't ever stop. Promise me you will."_

_I made a promise, and I have to keep it._

Ruby clenched her fists, looking down in shame. "Yes. I'm going to leave for Vale. This is what I want."

The silence was unbearable. Ruby waited patiently, hoping that if Tai was angry, he'd just say it already. Normally he spoke his mind about these things. He'd never drag out the quiet. It was unbearable.

 _Say something,_ Ruby said _. If he won't, you should. He's your dad. He won't hate you._

"You know, if you're going to be leaving for Vale, you better get packing."

Ruby looked at him, perplexed. "Dad-?"

"Your letter says they want you there ASAP," Tai said with a smile. "The next train to Beacon City is leaving tomorrow morning. I'll prepare your travel lunch, you go get everything you need ready to go."

"You're...sure about this?" She couldn't believe it. Taiyang was so adamant about her staying home the last few years. And he was letting her go so easily?

Taiyang let out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder. "Well, despite telling you numerous times that I want you to stay, I understand how much this means to you. I was just like you at one point. So was Qrow. And Raven, Summer, and Yang." He pulled out a small metal lunchbox with his family's emblem on the front. "I've tried stopping you in the past. But I won't anymore. I'll help you prepare, and I'll pack you something to eat. And everyone deserves a tasty lunch on a train ride."

A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ruby leapt from her seat and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "Thank you, daddy."

"Hey, I'm always gonna be here for you, my little Luna." He ruffled her hair, setting the lunch box on the counter. "Just promise me you'll come home, okay? And come visit me when you can, got it? It'll be lonely here without you."

"I will," she promised. "I'll call every day and send pictures and-"

"And you'll miss your train if you don't get packed. Now go on. I'll  make your favorites for the trip."

"Thanks dad." Ruby gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ran back upstairs to fetch her luggage. She didn't have a lot of time.  Zwei followed close behind her, barking cheerfully as he tried to get her attention.

_I'll need to make sure I have everything. Photo of the family, my clothes, mom's old gun, my locket, maybe a few video games? Will I even have time to play? Maybe just my Scroll Station Cartable. Yeah, that should be enough._

Zwei nipped playfully at her heal, nudging a small squeaky toy toward her to put in the bag. Ruby pretended to pack it, giggling as the corgi bounced around happily.

"You think I'll get to be part of Uncle Qrow's team?" Ruby asked Zwei. "I know the rules say I can't, but maybe Uncle Qrow can get them to change their mind. It wouldn't be the first time he managed that about something. He's a stubborn guy."

Zwei barked in agreement.

"I'm glad you think so." Ruby folded her favorite blanket up as rightly as she could, making sure it'd fit in the suitcase. "Even if I don't, maybe they'll assign me somewhere with lots of nice people. Maybe at the main HQ too. I wonder if they still have the old platoons from when mom was captain."

 _Probably not,_ she thought. But the idea that her mother's old team was still around was a comforting thought.

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Good morning passengers. Our next stop is Signal Station. Our estimated time of arrival is three hours, twelve minutes, and thirty-nine seconds-"_ **

Weiss let out a yawn, watching as the planet slowly came into view. Signal Station was her next stop, and then she would disembark the 214 to catch the 725. If she had really wanted to, she could have asked for a ride from one of her father's crones. But this journey was something she had wanted to take on her own. She couldn't rely on him for anything.

And that included this.

A weeklong trip over three trains was the best she could do on such short notice. She packed as much as she thought would be needed, ignoring the insistence of her brother that she bring some more of home with her. Her jewelry. Their grandfather's scarf. A photo of the family at the very least.

She was severely annoyed to find all three had made it into her luggage.

Weiss reached into her carryon and pulled out her towel and ditty bag. The 214's first class coaches came with showers, but the 725 wasn't nearly as extravagant. If she was going to change to a regular coach, she wanted to at least be presentable. You never knew who you might meet along the rails. And if Weiss was lucky, she'd meet someone worth befriending.

 _How do I befriend someone genuinely?_ she wondered. She'd been so focused on her studies, she never really considered whether or not she'd get along with her commanding officers, let alone the other new recruits. Not everyone in the galaxy was a fan of her family, but they were still well known enough that she could introduce herself as such without much concern. And as much as she wanted to distance herself from her father, being a Schnee was her only icebreaker.

That, and the fact that she was incredibly talented with a Saber and Rapier.

"I'll need to finish my forms," she muttered. "If I'm going to be allowed my Myrtenaster, I need to have all my I's dotted." She let out a soft grumble. "Why does there have to be so much paperwork? Did Winter have to jump through this many hoops?" Weiss shook her head, entering the bathroom and letting her hair down.

_Now's not the time for that, Weiss. You need to focus. Make friends. Train hard. Rise up the ranks._

_The SPG is the goal._

 

* * *

 

 

Taiyang saw Ruby off that morning. They wore their matching hoodies and cargo pants, looking like two peas in a pod like always. He wasn't feeling the best, but managed to drive as far as the diner and walk the rest of the way. The fresh air was always the best medicine, he'd say. He gave her his lucky bandana and a warm hug, lingering as long as he could before letting her go to the entryway, smiling as much as he could to reassure her that he'd be fine.

"Have a safe trip honey," he said. "Your Uncle should be at the station to greet you when you land. Call me when you get there, okay?"

"I will," she said. "I love you, dad." With one last wave, she pulled up the hood up over her head and climbed the steps to the ticket booth as the robotic voice echoed over the intercoms.

**_"Attention everyone. The 725 will be leaving the station in two minutes. Please be sure you have all your personal belongings-"_ **

"Hold it," Fenix said lazily. "I need to see your pass."

"You mean this?" Ruby asked. She handed him the slip, smiling playfully.

"Well, I'll be damned," he chuckled. "Looks like we won't be running you out with the bots anymore, huh? Welcome aboard, Miss Rose."

"Thanks Fenix. Take care of dad for me, okay? Counting on you."

"I'll look after him, I promise."

"I'm holding you to it."

The two shared a pleasant handshake and Ruby made her way up to the door of the 725. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind telling her to stay put. But she brushed it aside.

She had to do this.

Pulling her case up, Ruby climbed inside and found herself an empty compartment in the coach to sit. She made sure her luggage was properly secured and made herself comfortable, pulling Tai's lucky bandana out of her pocket. It was soft, decorated with little black feathers and rose petals surrounding a golden dragon.

_"Got it in the Mistral system after I met your mom. After that, anytime I had it, everything worked out okay. I've never shared it before, and...well, anyway. Keep it on you, okay?"_

"I will," she whispered, tying it around her left wrist for comfort. "I promise dad."

The announcer called out softly over the intercom for passengers to take their seats. The train slowly began to pull out of the station and Ruby looked out the window, smiling as she saw her dad standing on the platform waving goodbye. She opened the window and leaned out, waving frantically.

"Bye dad!" she called. "I'll come home soon! Love you!"

"Love you too!" he cried. "I'll make your favorite cookies when you get back! Be safe, Ruby!"

"You too!"

As the train started to speed upwards, Ruby got back inside, locking the window and pulling out her lunch box. She wasn't hungry quite yet. Just looking at the emblem on the lid was enough for her. It was as if her father was there with her.

_I wonder if Yang had the same box. Did Uncle Qrow have one too? I need to ask him. Maybe he does and I just never saw it. I can be pretty dense._

**_"Excuse me?"_ **

Ruby looked up, eyes wide as she saw a girl with long white hair in a side ponytail. Her eyes were as blue as a winter day's sky, and she had an air of confidence about her that she had never seen before. She was dressed in a long white trench coat with a navy blue dress and wedged heels. On her left hip appeared to be a Gravity Saber.

_This was no normal passenger._

"Would it be alright if I joined you?" the girl asked. "I had to switch trains and everywhere else is full."

"Oh, sure," Ruby said excitedly. "Not a problem."

"Thank you." The girl took the seat across from her, sitting close to the window. "So, I take it you're on your way to Vale as well?"

Ruby's silver eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know? Are you psychic?"

"Uh, no. It's just that's usually why people get on the 725. That, and other reasons." The girl held out her hand, smiling politely as she waited for Ruby to take it. "My name is Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you, um-?"

"Oh! My name is Ruby! Ruby Rose!" Ruby shook Weiss' hand roughly with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Weiss!"

"Wait... _Rose?_ As in Captain Summer Rose?"

Ruby's smile faltered as she pulled away. That was always the reaction people gave to hearing her name these days. "Y-yeah. That's my mom. Uh..."

"My condolences," Weiss said softly. "Captain Rose was fairly well known back in the Atlas system and many of us looked up to her. She was a true hero."

"Yeah, she was." Ruby turned away, opening her lunch box and pulled out the box of strawberries.

Weiss looked her over, brow raised in confusion. "Do...you not know my Name?"

"It's Weiss Schnee," Ruby mumbled. "You just said that."

"No, I mean, _my Name_. Schnee?"

"I don't follow." _What's with this girl? Why is she so insistent I know the name? It sounds familiar but..._

_Why do I know it?!_

"Um, Weiss Schnee? Heiress to the Schnee Mining Corporation? One of the few to graduate the Atlesian Space Defense Academy with honors?"

"Not ringing any bells."

"Galactic Alliance Fencing Champion five years running? Younger sister to SPG's First Officer of the Myrtenaster?"

Everything seemed to fade for a moment as Ruby processed that information.  The name sounded familiar on its own, but now?

_"Ah, so you're Ruby. My name is Winter Schnee, First officer of the Myrtenaster and member of the SPG."_

Now it was nothing but bitterness and pain.

"Your older sister is Winter?" Ruby asked coldly.

Weiss was taken aback but remained sitting up straight, refusing to let the sudden change in tone throw her off. "Yes, she is. I take it you know her?"

"I don't. My sister did. And I really don't want to talk to you right now, so leave me alone."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't wanna talk to a Schnee, so fucking leave me be."

Weiss let out a gasp of disbelief, a visible look of hurt on her face. Ruby didn't care. She munched on the berries, keeping her eye trained on the stars passing them by. She didn't care what Weiss had to say.

She wasn't in the mood to make small talk with a Schnee.

 

* * *

 

    

The clock slowly ticked on by as a knock on the door brought their attention away from the hologram of the train routes. Ozpin waved a hand, watching as the room slowly lit up and the holograms vanish. There wasn't much that could be garnered from their images, but they wanted to be cautious.

You could never tell who, or what, might have the need for minor information.

Keeping their chair turned away from the door, they took a moment to compose themself. The strong feeling of worry was beginning to weigh them down. Someone was going to hurt today. Someone was going to see something they shouldn't see.

And they couldn't do anything to help.

**_Knock, knock, knock!_ **

_Looks like it's time._

"Come in," Ozpin said.

The doors opened slowly and the sound of uneven footsteps slowly approached them. Ozpin closed their eyes, picturing their guest in their mind. Tall, black hair that's slowly growing white from stress. Broad shoulders, tired blue eyes, a metal plate over their right brow. Navy blue uniform with red trim, a wolf crest over their heart. Every time the right foot stepped down, the floor vibrated slightly. Ozpin turned their chair around, slowly standing up with arms open in greeting, the stars on the inside of their cape sparkling softly.

"Hello Captain Ironwood," they said pleasantly.

"Supreme Commander," James saluted. "You wanted to see me, nova?"

"At ease, James. No need to be so formal." They motioned for him to sit down, snapping their fingers to alert the food service robot to bring the cart. "Tea?"

"Uh, s-sure. Thank you." The robot poured them both a cup, and he watched as Oz added sugar and crème to their own. "Nova, if I may ask...why have you called me here?"

Ozpin resisted the urge to chuckle at James' confusion. It was understandable, of course. The last time the two of them had spoken was when Glynda had transferred off his time. Ironwood had only just gotten out of the hospital then, so the conversation was short and mostly for pleasantries. This was of a more serious nature.

"Tell me, James," they asked. "Out of all your fellow Captains, with whom would you say you have the most strenuous relationship with at the moment?"

James looked into his cup, lips pressed thin in thought as he tried to figure it out. Ozpin already knew exactly who it was. They knew who it was that had it out for Captain Ironwood. Only one man had a problem with him at the moment.

"Probably Branwen, Nova," James answered, taking a sip of his tea. "He's not exactly been my biggest fan in the last decade or so."

Ozpin nodded sagely. "And what do you think of Captain Branwen, James?"

He looked at them, eyes narrowed slightly. "To be quite frank, I'm not sure where I stand with him."

 _This is a surprise,_ they thought. "And why is that, James?"

"For starters," James stated bluntly, "the way he treats his cadets is a little harsh. And he's just as hot headed as I was before-" he rolled his right shoulder instinctively "-you know. And he's got a nasty habit of arguing with other captains over matters off duty."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "I'm sensing a "but" in there, somewhere."

 _"But,"_ he sighed, "he is incredibly skilled at what he does. And he's very intelligent, sneaky, and a damn good shot. Everyone thinks he's one of our best." He finished his tea and set the cup on the desk, folding his hands politely in his lap. "His biggest problem is his temper at the moment. While I respect him as a captain, I'm worried about his attitude. It doesn't matter if he's the first to throw a punch at the local bar with or if he trusts you with his life. He'll still call you out if you so much as spit in his direction the wrong way. If this is how he’s like when bickering with his friends, I’d be terrified to be his enemy.”

_Just what I wanted to hear._

"If that's how you truly feel about him," Ozpin said, "then I recommend trying to get on his good side. Try bonding over any shared interests. Maybe ask him to join you for coffee."

"Nova-?"

"You want someone like Qrow on your side, Captain." They took a sip of their tea, smile fading as they felt the heaviness filling their chest again. "Summer trusted him with her life, and Qrow trusted her. I do believe you two could grow to have that same level of trust."

James looked them over, expression soft with understanding as he stood up straight, adjusting his coat. "I'll try my best, nova."

"That's all I ask," Ozpin said softly. "Thank you for your time."

"Of course. Anytime." With one last salute, James turned to take his leave. "And Ozpin?"

Ozpin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Yes, James?"

"The tea was lovely. Thank you."

Ozpin smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. "You're very welcome."

James left the office, leaving them alone as the sun began to set. They summoned the hologram of the rail routes, their eyes darkened as they saw the image of the 725 begin to glow a soft red as it got closer to the time knot. The alarms would go off within the hour, and Commander Sieben will send a platoon to retrieve them.

"The embers of time have finally begun to burn again," Ozpin muttered. "Who will rise from the ashes this time, I wonder?"

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Hello passengers. This is your reminder to please keep your windows closed while we pass by the time knot, as we will be experiencing some minor electromagnetic interference-"_ **

Weiss looked out the window, expression bored and tired. They had a few hours until they were meant to arrive at Beacon Station, and a lot of that relied on whether or not the time knot caused any delay. She hoped that they passed it soon. The silence in her cabin was unbearable. If there had been a first class coach on this train, she wouldn't have to worry about being bored.

_Maybe I should have taken Whitley's advice and brought a book to read or something._

She shivered, hating that she could even consider taking advice from her brother.

**_"What's a time knot?"_ **

Weiss looked up, surprised at the silver eyes glancing at her from under the red hood. She sat up straight, allowing herself to project.

"It's an anomaly with a different time axis," she explained. "Nobody is quite sure as to why they exist, and studying them is incredibly difficult. A lot of trains have wrecked near them as a result of the interference from the electromagnetic waves."

"That's comforting," Ruby mumbled.

 _Crap,_ Weiss thought. _That was the wrong thing to say. I don't know why, but it was. Shit. Shit, what do I do? I want to be on her good side. Think Weiss. Think._

"I'm sure we'll be fine," she said nervously. "There isn't much to worry about. The magnetic shields on the new trains are pretty strong."

"Yeah..." Ruby dug into her lunchbox, pulling out a small bag of cookies.

 _Well, looks like that was a waste._ Weiss was about to look back toward the window when a hand came into view in front of her.

"Want it?" Ruby asked. "It's my mom's recipe. Always makes me less worried about things."

"Uh...sure..." Weiss gently took the cookie, looking it over before taking a bite. The taste of chocolate and strawberries danced pleasantly over her senses. "This is really good."

"Yeah?" Ruby smiled, taking one for herself before putting the rest away. "Mom worked on this recipe for years. Dad helped her perfect it, and Uncle Qrow was the taste tester."

"Wow. Sounds like a full house."

"It was. Life on Patch is pretty nice when you have a big family. And when they're home."

"What do you mean-"

Weiss was cut off when the train began to shake, nearly knocking them both out of their seats. The alarms began to sound and the coach lights went dim, replaced by a soft, pulsing orange glow from the emergency signals.

**_"Attention passengers. We will be experiencing a slight delay due to engine trouble. Do not be alarmed. Please remain in your seats and-"_ **

"Engine trouble my butt," Ruby said. "I'm going to go check the engine room."

"Hey!" Weiss called. "Wait for me!" Weiss followed Ruby out of the compartment, only for them to bump into the conductor-bot that had been assigned to their train.

"What are you doing?!" the robot screeched. "Please, return to your seats-"

"We want to know what's going on!" Ruby demanded. "What's happening, really?!"

"W-we slipped into the time knot!"

"What?!"

 _This isn't good,_ Weiss thought. She looked at Ruby, grabbing her arm and attempting to pull her back to the compartment. "Come on. We need to-"

The train shook again, and the three of them fell over as the train began to spin out of control. The air filled with screams, and the last thing Weiss saw was a pair of silver eyes as the world faded to black.

 

* * *

 

 

_"You want someone like Qrow on your side, Captain. Summer trusted him with her life, and Qrow trusted her. I do believe you two could grow to have that same level of trust."_

James let out a sigh, shaking his head as he slowly approached the Vega Platoon meeting room with small bag in hand. He didn't want to bother them. He honestly would prefer if they interacted as little as possible. The last time they spoke, Qrow had been in a drunken stupor and had come barging into his quarters in the middle of the night.

He could still remember his screams.

_"Why didn't you save her?! You could have done something! You should have done something!"_

Qrow probably didn't mean it. He was intoxicated, tired, and in mourning. He didn't mean to shout at him that way. And yet...

_"Why couldn't it have been you?!"_

That was the exact same question James asked himself every single day since then. Why didn't he save her? Why didn't he do something? Take Summer's place on the train?

But he couldn't keep thinking that. Summer wouldn't have wanted him to think those things. His old team didn't want him to think those things. He had to throw those thoughts away. He was needed here. And Qrow probably knew this just as well. Even still, James made it a point not to be within arm's reach of Branwen when he was off duty.

Just to be safe.

And now he was throwing that safety out the window by attempting to go see Qrow in his own territory. The Captain of the Melodic Cudgel was confident on a good day, but being in his own meeting room always seem to add more bravado to his speech. The only other place he ever saw that amount of confidence was around Taiyang and the girls. It was rather sweet, when James thought about it. He wondered if Qrow did it to show off for the girls.

_Stop it, James. Focus. You're trying to make good with him, not speculate on his home life. Behave yourself._

**_"Oh, is that a cake box from Meteor Magic Cake Shoppe?"_ **

James nearly went for his gun as he spun around, eyes narrow in annoyance as he saw the vibrant ginger hair of Qrow's first officer. Grey uniform, burgundy trimming, and a crest with a harp over his heart. James still didn't know how he got that stupid bowler hat past regulations.

"Hello, Officer Torchwick," he greeted pleasantly.

"Hey there, Jimmy," Roman chuckled. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

_Play it cool. Don't let him know what you're up to._

"I'm here to see Captain Branwen."

Roman let out a sarcastic gasp of shock. "Ooh, does lil'Jimboree have a date with Bird-brain?"

 _Nice going, James._ "I heard his niece was coming in today. It's a peace offering."

Roman's smile faded as he tipped his bowler cap up. "I gotcha. You heard about the recruitment assignments early too, huh? Smart thinking on the cake front. Strawberry shortcake, right? Heard someone bought the last batch for the day."

"Yes, I got the last two," James said slowly. "Wait...what do you mean by 'recruitment assignments', Roman?"

"Oh, Neo told me you'll be getting two newbies on your team," he hummed. "She told me she saw the lists herself, and you know how she is with information. Let's see..." He put his finger to his chin teasingly. "A miss Weiss Schnee and a wee Ruby Rose are due to join Sirius Platoon once the 725 pulls in. Gotta say, I'm surprised you didn't fight the Supreme Commander on this. You must be pretty damn brave to risk pissing off Qrow a second time."

James raised a brow at him. "I didn't know the new recruits had been assigned teams."

"You didn't?" Roman looked shocked. "Then why the hell are you bringing him cake of all things?"

_"If that's how you truly feel about him then I recommend trying to get on his good side."_

Everything began to click in James' mind. Ozpin didn't call him into their office for pleasantries and advice. They were warning him of a decision they'd made. A decision that could either turn out to be a disaster, or a miracle.

And they didn't know which side this coin toss would fall yet.

"No reason," James said. "Just old wounds that need healing."

The sirens began to blare through the halls, pulling the officer's attention away from each other.

**_"ATTENTION. THE 725 HAS DERAILED AND HAS FALLEN THROUGH THE TIME KNOT NEAR MOUNTAIN GLENN. SIRIUS PLATOON REQUESTED TO DEPLOY. I REPEAT-"_ **

"Looks like you won't be sharing that cake," Roman groaned.

"Take it." James handed him the bag and proceeded to run down the hall toward the deployment platform.

"Wait-!"

James didn't have time to wait. A train falling through the time knot was a major risk. The passengers were in danger. Everyone was in danger. If he didn't hurry, changes might be made that could ultimately tear their timeline apart. Ruby and Weiss could be hurt. There were people who needed him.

_I'm not going to lose anyone this time._

He was one of the first to arrive and board the Crescent Rose, followed shortly by his first officer and their medic. Soon, everyone took their seats and began preparations while James did a headcount.

_Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, and Penny Polendina. All present and accounted for. Thank goodness. I'm going to need all hands on deck for this one._

"Begin take off sequence," James ordered.

"Magnetic barriers are intact," Blake called.

"Atomic boiler pressure is a go," Ren said. "Cylinder valves are open, warp drive coupling is in place, and the main circuit is online."

"All systems green, Captain Ironwood," Penny said cheerfully. "We're combat ready!"

Pyrrha looked up at him, smiling brightly. "Awaiting takeoff on your command, sir!"

"Let's go then," said James. "Ahead full!"

**_"YES, CAPTAIN!"_ **

The train began take off, and James took a deep breath to steady himself.

_Let's get those people back home._

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Oh my god, they're still alive. Hey. Hey buddy, can you hear me?"_ **

The air was freezing, chilling her to the bone as Ruby slowly started to come to. Her body hurt all over. She knew they must have crashed. The time knot must have thrown them about pretty hard. There was a gentle warmth emanating from somewhere.

No, not somewhere. Someone. Someone with a familiar voice.

 ** _"Hey, you took a pretty nasty hit,"_** said the voice again. " ** _You alright?"_**

"I think we're okay," Weiss groaned. "Where are we?"

**_"You're on Mountain Glenn. Not exactly the best place to take a dirt nap, but whatever gets you in peak condition."_ **

_No way._

Ruby looked up slowly, taking in the detail of the young woman before them. She was tall, with long blonde hair up a ponytail and vibrant lilac eyes that maintained a gentle blue tint. She was wearing long tan uniform trousers, a yellow shirt, and an orange scarf paired with a sage green Panzer's uniform coat. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a black and yellow prosthetic right arm and a matching gauntlet on the left arm.

_It can't be._

"Hello," the conductor-bot greeted. "We slipped into the time knot. Might I inquire your name?"

"Name's Yang Xiao Long," the woman said. "I'm here with my unit of the Space Panzer Grenadiers."

"You're SPG?" Weiss asked excitedly. "That's everyone's dream! My name is Weiss-"

Ruby flew to her feet, hugging Yang tightly as she buried her face in her sister's shoulders as she began to cry.

"Woah there-" Yang started.

"Yang," Ruby whimpered. "I missed you so much."

"What the hell?" Yang looked at her, perplexed. "Ruby? Is that you?"

"Yes!" Ruby pulled away, lowering her hood so her black and red hair was free to fly in the wind. "It's me, Yang. It's Ruby!"

Yang's smile burned brightly as she gave Ruby a great bear hug. "Oh my gosh! You've gotten so tall! What are you doing here?"

"We were on our way to headquarters when the train crashed," Weiss explained. "We're SDF recruits."

"What are you doing here, sis?" Ruby asked.

Weiss's mouth was slack jawed. "Wait, _sis?_ "

**_"LOOK OUT!"_ **

Yang flew forward and tackled them all to the ground just as a laser blast passed by them. Ruby felt a sudden rush of adrenaline. More blasts started to fly in their direction.

"What's going on?!" Weiss screamed.

"Pirates!" Yang spat. "Damn monsters, attacking civilians." She looked at the conductor, eyes taking on a red gleam. "Does the train have a stealth module?"

"Yes!" the conductor stammered. "I'll activate it now!"

"Good." Yang helped them up and dragged them over to a nearby car. "We'll need to create a diversion. It's gonna be a bit dangerous, but welcome to the SDF kiddos." She glanced at Weiss, smirking. "That Saber work?"

"It's actually a Rapier," Weiss bragged. "And of course it works."

"Good. You shoot, I'll drive."

Everyone piled onto the back of the car while Yang hopped into the driver's seat. Weiss waited until they were moving before rolling down the window and preparing to fire. Ruby held on tightly, smiling like a fool. It was a dream come true for her. Being able to be on a mission with Yang.

Having her sister back in her life was all she wanted.

 

* * *

 

 

Qrow was sitting alone in the Vega Platoon meeting room, hunched over as he looked at a photo of himself with his sister, Tai, and Summer by the tree on the hillside. He often found himself alone in the later evenings like this when his team was off to get dinner. He didn't mind socializing with them, but tonight, he was needing a bit of space.

After all, Ruby would be showing up soon enough. Even more heartbroken than before. He needed to prepare for that. She'd need him.

_"Jimmy's gone to save your niece. He left cake."_

"Callous as ever, Ro." Qrow looked over at the table where Roman had left the bag. He had a suspicion on why Ironwood of all people would bring him something sweet. It wasn't really something he wanted to think about though.

_"Why couldn't it have been you?!"_

"Dammit. I'm a fuckin' idiot."

**_"I'll say."_ **

Qrow looked up, red eyes glowing in the light as he saw the violet uniformed Captain Glynda Goodwitch staring at him from the doorway. Her left eye was a darker green than usual, and her hair was actually down for the first time in months.

"Hey," Qrow grumbled. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Glynda gave him a pleasant smile as she came over and sat across from him. "Roman was bragging about you getting the last of the strawberry shortcake from Meteor Magic and I came by to see if he was right."

"Actually, it was Ironwood that got the last of them." He reached over and pulled the cake boxes out of the bag, holding one out to her. "Want one? They're going to get stale if we wait for him to get back."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's fine. I'll just get him some of those cinnamon rolls he likes when he gets back."

"Qrow Branwen offering to get Ironwood pastries. Will wonders never cease?"

"...I will eat them both, you know."

Glynda held back a snicker and took the offering, smiling as she helped herself to the treat. They sat in silence for a while, their eyes trained on their plates as the time slowly passed. As much as Qrow wanted to be alone, he couldn't bring himself to kick his uninvited guest out.

No one could say no to Glynda Goodwitch.

"So," Glynda sighed. "Are you avoiding everyone because of the cadet assignments?"

"No," Qrow said. "Just reflecting on some shit I need to fix. Did they get posted?"

"Neo found out who went where. If you'd had dinner with your team, you'd know that."

"Right..." Qrow raised a brow at her, intrigued. "Who are the recruits? Anyone interesting besides my niece?"

Glynda set her empty box on the table, crossing her legs as she pulled her hair back. "I'm getting Valkyrie from repairs, and someone by the name of Jaune Arc who I swear just barely got in by the skin of his teeth. Bart has someone joining him named Gwen Darcy, Leo's got a newbie named Reese Chloris. Both of them seem like good eggs. James got Weiss Schnee and...Well, three guess on who his other recruit is."

 _No way,_ Qrow thought. _No fucking way._ "You're not serious."

"No, I'm Spica," Glynda said. "Ruby Rose will be on Sirius Platoon with James."

Qrow looked at his own cake, tossing it onto the table before getting up and storming out of the room. Glynda flew to her feet and gave chase, grabbing him by the wrist. He tried to pull away, his entire body seething with rage.

"Qrow," Glynda groaned. "Where are you going?"

"To give Oz a piece of my mind, that's what!"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Glynda spun him around and grabbed him tightly by the shoulders. "You're getting too worked up. You think rationally."

"And how," Qrow spat, "do you propose I do that?"

"First," she said, "is don't go storming into the Supreme Commander's office hot off the information. You take a minute and calm down. Second, you wait until after James gets back and have him go with you-"

"Fuck that!" Qrow pushed her off, his mind racing a mile a minute. "You expect me to talk to Oz with IronDick?"

"Yes, I do. Because as angry as you are, take a moment and think about it from his perspective. Do you honestly think he'd bring you cake if he knew about the recruitment assignments? That there isn't any other reason he'd try to butter you up with sweets?"

Qrow went to argue, but bit back a retort and thought about it. It wasn't like James to bring someone a treat outside of his own Platoon. And rarely did he ever interact with anyone to begin with. Even if he knew about the assignments, it didn't quite make sense for him to come see him with cake.

Although, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it probably wasn't about the cadets at all.

_"Why couldn't it have been you?!"_

"Dammit," he hissed. "I really am an idiot."

Glynda crossed her arms, her face turning stern. "You and James have been avoiding each other like the plague the past year, and to be quite frank, it's getting old. I don't know what you two are arguing about, but James at least port forth an effort to make peace before your niece arrives. I suggest you do the same. And then go talk to Ozpin."

Qrow let out a low grumble, rubbing his hand over his face as if to pull away the stress. "Dammit, Goodwitch. Why do you always have to meddle?"

"Because," she said, "if I don't, Ozpin will. And I don't think any of us want them to risk their health again, no?"

"No," he mumbled. "We don't want that."

"Good. Now when James gets back, you're going to do what?"

"I'll go apologize for the shitty thing I did and then drag him with me to talk to Ozpin."

"Good." She ruffled his hair, prompting an indignant squawk. "Now, when you're done sulking, come join me in the training halls. I'm going to try and break that record of yours."

"Like hell you are!"

"You're right," she sighed. "Why try when it's a guarantee?"

Glynda turned on her heel and began to walk away. Qrow hurried to keep pace, fully intent on keeping his title.

 

* * *

 

 

The moon had risen high in the sky by the time Yang had found them a place with a high altitude to watch from. The conductor had told them that the 725 had been sending a distress signal since they crashed, so SDF should be there by late morning to rescue them. Ruby sat with Weiss and the conductor under blankets beside the car as they waited for her to return from her perimeter check. The initial adrenaline had finally worn off, and all Ruby could feel was a deep, anxious pain deep in her chest.

 _Yang's here_ , she thought. _Everything should be okay. We shouldn't be afraid. Right? There's nothing wrong, right?_

_No Ruby...you know what's wrong..._

"Hey, Mr. Conductor?" she asked. "Did we fall into the past when the time knot grabbed us?"

The conductor-bot looked at her, his face barely moving as it spoke. "I believe so. By my calculations, we're on Mountain Glenn as it was two years back from when we departed Signal Station. If we can return through the knot before it closes, we should be able to go back to the present day."

"I thought so."

Weiss looked at Ruby, perplexed. "Is that a bad thing? Two years isn't that long."

"Two years might as well be an eternity..." Ruby glanced in the direction Yang had walked in, hoping to see her come back. "My sister died here two years ago, along with most of her squad and the General of the SPG. Winter was the only survivor."

"Really?" Weiss' confusion melted into fear. "Then that means she-"

"She's going to die soon. All of them are."

"Why not bring her with us?" Weiss suggested. "Bring all of them?"

"That is inadvisable," the conductor said. "Please follow The Galaxy Railways protocol in regards to our situation."

"And what does it say about our situation?" Ruby asked.

"Article 34, paragraph 2: Passengers are to avoid interfering with events of the past in order to avoid causing permanent damage to the future. I'm afraid attempting to change people's fates could cause very serious repercussions."

**_"So how do you change a person's fate?"_ **

Everyone looked up to the roof of the car, Weiss standing and drawing her Gravity Rapier instinctively, only to relax when she saw it was Yang standing on the roof of the car. She hopped down and joined them, an inquisitive look on her face. Ruby knew that face well. Yang wasn't going to let them drop the subject at all.

"You can't," the conductor stammered. "Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible. I don't know of anyone who can change someone's fate."

"That so?" Yang asked, leaning back with her arms stretched over her head. "That sucks. I was hoping for something better than that. There has to be some way to do it."

"Not without messing up the timeline," Weiss said.

"Is messing up the timeline a bad thing?" Ruby asked. Weiss glared at her, and Ruby tried not to let her anxiety get the better of her.

"You can't just change the flow of time," the conductor said. "Everything is playing out for a reason. Fate has a grand design."

Yang let out a grumble of annoyance. "Yeah, well I think Fate needs a makeover."

She glanced at Ruby, and Ruby knew what Yang was going to ask next. Without even waiting, she got up and grabbed the binoculars and gun from the car. "I'm going to take a look on the top of the ridge. Wait here and get some rest so we can start working in shifts."

"Right," Weiss said. "Just don't be gone too long."

Ruby gave her a quick nod before walking toward the nearby ridge, trying not to shiver in the cold night air. The clouds were slowly coming in, ready to bath the planet in a thick sheet of snow. The gunfire had died down, but the pirates were probably still in hiding. Ruby lay herself on the ground, remaining low as she scanned the area with the binoculars.

_Best course of action is to rotate watch. Have someone at the ridge at all times to make sure that the enemy doesn't try to sneak up on us. If we're careful, we can make it back to the train by noon tomorrow without endangering the other passengers. Hopefully we'll be found by SDF soon._

Yang came up to join her about ten minutes into her shift, laying beside her with chin in her hands. "Can't believe dad let you join the SDF."

"It was a lot easier than I thought," Ruby tittered. "Pulled out a lunchbox with his emblem on it and everything."

"Did the same thing for me," Yang snickered. "What I really wanted was that lucky bandana with the feathers and shit. It would have come in handy."

"You mean this?" She rolled up her sleeve to show her sister, smirking as Yang's jaw hung from surprised. "He let me have it so long as I promised not to take it off."

"Lucky!" Yang whined. "I wanted it for times like this. He never shared it before!"

"Hold still." Ruby took the bandana and tied it to the hair tie keeping Yang's ponytail in place. "I think it'll come in handy."

"Dad made you promise-"

"Trust me, if he knew where I was right now, he'd agree I'm doing the right thing."

Yang let out a hum of acceptance before swiping the binoculars to take a peek. "Hopefully this next attack will put an end to this war."

"Attack?"

"We're planning on launching a full scale attack tomorrow at twilight. Moving in undercover is the best thing for us to do. If we catch them by surprise, we'll be able to reduce any chances of casualties."

Ruby looked at her, trying not to panic. "But that's what they're expecting. They know you're coming."

Yang let out a sigh, her hands clenching tightly around the binoculars. "There's no way they know. We'll be fine."

Her hand reached out and grabbed Yang's shoulder, her silver eyes welling with tears. "Yang, how much of our conversation did you hear?"

Yang looked at her, perplexed. "I came in right as the conductor was explaining the manual. Why?"

Ruby sat up with her back against the rocky wall of their perch, hugging her knees. "Weiss and I are from a different timeline than the one you're on right now, Yang. Two years ago, your entire unit, save for Winter, were all killed in the line of duty. You, General Rainart, everyone else. You all died because someone got the information."         

A gentle arm wrapped around her shoulders as she wiped away the tears. Yang gave her a kiss to the temple, letting Ruby rest her head on her shoulders. It'd been so long since she felt her older sister's arm around her. She missed having her around.

_But...maybe I can keep her around._

"Yang? When the rescue team arrives for the 725, maybe you-"

"I can't go with you, Ruby."

Ruby felt her heart sink. "But why not? You're just going to die if you stay!"

Yang stood up, hands in her pockets as she looked toward the sky. "I'm a Space Panzer Grenadier. When hell is knocking on the front door, it's not my place to run out the backdoor. Mom taught me something very important the day she left, Ruby. She taught me things aren’t always the bright sparkly stories you see on the cartoons. That sometimes bad things just happen and there’s nothing we can do about that." She held out a hand, helping pull Ruby to her feet. "But she also taught me that we have to keep fighting for what we believe in. That we need to keep moving forward."

"I...I understand," Ruby muttered. "But Yang...how can you be so brave? Why aren't you getting upset, o-or scared? Aren't you ang-”

"Yes, I’m angry about this!" Yang interjected, clenching her fists. "I’m angry and sad and I’m scared. I’m afraid, Ruby. I know what my Destiny is supposed to be..." She took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "But I will not let that fear control me."

"Yang-"

"It's going to be okay, Ruby. I promise, I'm not going to die this time. And who knows, your warning might make a difference tomorrow. Time might change."

Ruby knew it was just platitudes. Yang wasn't good at hiding her feelings. She always had a way of letting it slip. This time, it was her metal hand gripping her wrist in order to keep it from shaking. She was terrified. But she was still trying to reassure her that things would be alright.

_In all those years away from home, she never changed. She's still the same big sister I know and love._

"You should go rest," Yang said. "I'll keep watch for a few hours."

Ruby managed a smile, shaking her head and taking the binoculars. "No, you go rest. You've been fighting for hours, and I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten yet."

"I could go for some of mom's cookies..."

"There's some in my lunchbox. I left it in your car. Help yourself."

"You mean it?"

"You bet!"

"Who are you, and what have you done with Ruby?"

"Yang!"

The two continued their little spat for another minute before Yang finally called it a night. Ruby made herself comfortable and continued her watch, a nostalgic feeling of joy filling her chest. It'd been so long since she'd heard Yang's teasing.

_Please be right. Please let time change._

 

* * *

 

 

The clock ticked softly as Ozpin made their way over to their desk. The world seemed to be shifting all at once. Everything surrounding them was distorted. There were screams in their ears and a light buzzing sound coming from beyond the room.

"Something's different," they muttered. "What is going on?"

Ozpin say down and pulled up their files, surprised to find a few documents and emails they didn't recognize. There were images flashing and glitching into existence before them. People who were long gone suddenly having their files updated.

"So, something is changing...no wonder my joints ache so..."

**_Knock, knock, knock!_ **

Ozpin closed down the files, pinching the bridge of their nose as they tried to keep the world from spinning. "Come in."

The doors opened and one of the officers from the dispatch bay came in with a stack of papers. They had their nose buried deep in paperwork as they spoke.

"My Nova, I'm sorry to bother you, but we need you-"

Just as quickly as they had entered the room, they vanished, leaving the papers to scatter.

"Dammit," Oz cursed. "I quite liked them. They were always a treat to talk to." They pulled up the files, sighing with relief as they saw they still existed. "Just starting today. Looks like I'll need to get to know them all over again. Nothing like making a new first impression." Oz slowly walked over to the papers to pick them up, a shooting pain pulsing through their body.

_Dammit. Not now. Please, not now._

They got two more steps before the world began to vanish before them. Their legs became heavy, sweat coated their brow, and every breath was sharper than knives. They felt the ground give out beneath them, and slowly, Ozpin began to fall. Voices echoed in their ears, a dull ache permeating to their very soul.

 

* * *

 

 

James looked at the screens, his mind spinning as he looked over the plans one last time. He couldn't shake it, but something was off. He couldn't quite tell what though.

**_"Captain?"_ **

Pulled from his thoughts, James looked to his first officer with a reassuring smile. "Yes, Pyrrha?"

"We're almost clear of the time knot," she said. "We'll be pulling up to the train in about six minutes, sir."

"Excellent..." He took one more glimpse at the screen before turning toward the coaches. "Pyrrha, you're in charge of making sure we're connected once we've landed. Penny, come with me. We need to prepare for any injured passengers."

"Yes, Captain Ironwood," Penny said cheerfully.

"Good. The rest of you, follow your commands from Pyrrha. We're to make sure everyone is back home safely."

"Yes, sir!" they all said.

Without another word, James hurried to the medical car with Penny.

 

* * *

 

 

It was almost noon when they began to make their way back to the train. Yang had called ahead and told her team to change the plan of attack. The General didn't believe her at first, but with some convincing, she managed to get him to change the time of the attack. She hoped it'd be enough to change their Fate. She didn't tell Ruby what she did. She knew her little sister was already stressing enough as it was. There was no need to worry her with the unpredictability of it all.

It was all Yang could do not to panic at the idea she might perish today.

"According to my calculations," the conductor-bot stammered. "Our rescue team should be here within the next ten minutes."

"Any idea who's coming?" Yang asked.

"I'll check." The conductor's lights flickered and the slight sound of static filled their ears. "It looks like Sirius Platoon will be the ones taking us out of danger."

"Awesome! That means Captain Ironwood will be there. And if Ironwood's there, Ren will be too. And Pyrrha, and-"

"You know all those people?" Ruby asked.

Yang let out a snort. "You do too. Ironwood was mom's first officer. And remember Li from Vega Platoon? His son is on Sirius. You'll all be fine. They're in the top three platoons in the entire fleet."

"Oh cool!"

Yang understood why Ruby probably forgot. It'd been a long time since she'd seen James or Lie. And it had been awhile since Yang had even gotten a chance to write to Lie. She missed being able to talk to her pen pal. But laying low was part of the job. There wasn't much that Yang would be able to do without letting the enemy know where they are, so communication between the two of them had to stop.  And that wasn't even taking into account of taking three civilians from the future with her on a diversion. Even interacting with Ruby right now was really pushing it in terms of protocol.

_The sooner I get them all back to the 725, the sooner I can rejoin my team and hope for the best. I'm probably going to get an earful for this after all is said and done._

"Yang?" Weiss piped up. "We've got chasers!"

"What?!" Yang looked in the rearview mirror, grimacing as she saw the tanks following behind them.  There were the sounds of footsteps coming from the roof of the car as the sounds of explosions began to echo all around them.

_Dammit. Looks like we're gonna have to book it._

Yang slammed on the gas and everyone braced themselves for a fight. Weiss climbed out the window and the sound of feet became more prevalent. Ruby leaned out the window, taking aim in an attempt to shoot their pursuers.

_If I didn't have them all with me, I'd just jump out and punch the tanks out myself. I have the strength and the firepower to do it. But I can't just leave them to run away._

Weiss climbed back into the car, a fresh downward cut over her left eye that would undoubtedly leave a scar. Ruby shot repeatedly, only to curse when the lasers barely phased the outer armor of the tanks. The sound of a whistle echoed through the air, alerting Yang of the Crescent Rose's approach. There wasn't much time left. She had to hurry to get them back to the train.

The car shook, and soon they began to fly into the air, slowly turning over and crashing into the side of a rock.

"Everyone okay?" Yang asked, trying to ignore the headache.

"Y-yeah," Ruby whimpered, looking at the fresh cuts on her arm.

"I'm fine," Weiss groaned, looking to the conductor. "You?"

"A few dents," said the conductor. "But I'll be alright. But we must hurry."

"He's right," Yang said. "Get back to the 725, and fast. I'll take care of the tanks."

"But, Yang-"

"Just go!"

"Come on!" Weiss insisted, dragging Ruby away as they ran toward the train.

Alright, Firecracker, Yang thought. It's time to get going. She turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the tanks, prepping her gauntlets with a flick of the wrist. The lasers quickly charged, allowing her to fire as she threw metal fist at the first tank, burying her feet slightly into the ground as the force sent the machine flying away. She threw forward a few rapid punches, sending tanks two and three to smithereens. A truck with an old machine gun on it flew past her, aiming at Ruby and company.

**_"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"_ **

Yang ran toward the truck, her mechanical palm opening and releasing a small, glowing orb from inside the compartment.

_Let's test that split finger fastball I've been working on._

With a hard throw, she lunged the orb at the truck, letting out a "hell yeah!" as it made contact and flipped the vehicle over. She ran back toward the train, intent on making sure everyone got away safely.

 

* * *

 

 

The landing went smoother than anticipated, and Pyrrha couldn't be more thankful for that. With the sound of the cannon fire going on outside, anything that made the operation easier was a blessing.

"Slow reverse, everyone," she ordered. "Let's hook her up."

"On it," Ren assured.

The train shook slightly, the sound of metal locking together sounding like music to her ears. Pyrrha tried to resist the urge to cheer.

"The couplings are connected and locked," Blake said. "We're ready to go, ma'am."

"Alright," Pyrrha said. "Let's take the 725 up slow. We can't risk the train falling apart."

"Understood, Pyrrha."

"Let's go. Ahead slow!"

 

* * *

 

 

"I'm deactivating the optical camouflage!" the conductor-bot shrieked. "Crescent Rose is about to land and hook up to the engine! We need to hurry!"

Ruby could see the train pulling up to the 725, positioning itself to attach the engine to the caboose. The red paint seemed to gleam pleasantly in the sunlight, assuring them that they'd be alright. The passengers and crew left on the train were probably letting out sighs of relief right about now. She could understand. Most of them were probably panicking while waiting for the rescue.

"Come on!" Weiss said. "The doors are open on the Crescent Rose's cars. We can get you to their doctor, Ruby!"

"I'll be fine!" Ruby spat. She knew she'd be okay. She wasn't going to let a few cuts on her arm keep her from her work. She was determined to live.

She was more concerned about Yang.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder, eyes scanning the horizon looking for any trace of her sister. Golden hair. Green Coat. Anything. She hadn't realized she had begun to slow down until Yang finally came into view. She was only a few feet away from the medical car.

"Yang!" she called. "Yang, hurry!"

"Ruby!" Yang screamed. "What do you think you're doing?! Get on that train-"

Time seemed to stand still. Ruby watched in complete horror as her sister flew forward, landing face first on the ground near one of the surrounding boulders. She didn't notice the large pair of arms lift her off the ground and pull her onto the train. She just reached out, her heart pounding in her ears as Yang began to stand up. As time began to move again, she could tell that the train was beginning to take off.

_Wait. When did I get on board?_

"Ruby!" Yang called, throwing an old, ratty baseball at her. "Catch!"

"Yang?!" Ruby reached up and caught it, pulling it close.

"You better work on your pitches, sis!"

"Yang, no! Get on the train!"

"Not this time, Ruby. It's my duty to stay and fight!" She raised her hand, giving her a thumbs up. "I promise, I'm not going to die. But even if I do, you gotta keep moving forward. You hear me? Don't you dare break our promise to mom!"

**_"YANG! BEHIND YOU! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"_ **

Ruby's eyes went wide as she saw the silhouette of someone taking aim at Yang's back. There was the sound of a blaster firing, and Yang began to slump forward in pain as the laser went right through her chest.

**_"YANG!"_ **

"Stay back," came a voice from behind her. "We've got to leave."

"Let me go!" Ruby screamed, kicking and punching at the person pulling her further in as the doors began to close. "Let go of me! I can't leave her there! I can save her, let me go! ** _FUCKING LET GO OF ME! I CAN'T LET HER DIE ALONE! YANG!"_**

The doors locked, and the feeling of something sharp poked her neck. Soon her entire body became numb, and everything faded away as a low voice whispered to her.

_"I'm sorry."_

 

* * *

 

 

Yang managed to pull herself over to the wrecked car, gasping for breath as she searched for her first aid kit. Most of the supplies she had been carrying had been ruined in the crash. The only thing that seemed to remain unscathed was the lunch box that Ruby had left behind in the rush. She reached out and grabbed it, propping herself  up against the rock as the fighting began to die down.

"Dammit," she whispered. "I couldn't change anything...Destiny, you're a real bitch."

Shakily, she opened the lunchbox and smiled when she was greeted with a family photo. Her dad was smiling at her, his arms wrapped around a younger version of her and Ruby. Summer had an arm around his waist, and Qrow had his arm over Tai's shoulder. They were all dressed in long red capes so that they could stand out in the snow on the hillside by the school.

"You know...I was scared I'd die alone..."

She reached into the box and pulled out the last cookie, half a ham and cheese sandwich, and a small juice box. It wasn't much of a last meal, but it'd do. It was a lunch her father had packed, after all. One that was supposed to last Ruby a long trip.

And now it's final mission was to give Yang a taste of home.

"I'm not alone," she said as she finished the food. "I have my family here with me..."

The world faded away slowly as she felt her breathing become shallow. The last thing in her line of sight was a long, red blade.

 

* * *

 

 

James made his way toward Ozpin's office, straightening his scarf as he tried to remain calm. It'd been so long since he'd felt this nervous about the end result of a mission. The rescue of the 725 had only gone and renewed his fears. He didn't know how the other captains were going to react. He didn't know how the SPG were going to react. He nearly broke protocol by jumping off the train the way he did. He didn't have the strength to face the consequences alone.

_Dammit. Why couldn't I have just waited? Why didn't I have Pyrrha or Ren go check on the passengers? Why did I have to-_

**_"You were an idiot out there today. Again."_ **

James froze, slowly turning around and coming face to face with Qrow. A thousand different thoughts ran through his mind at that moment. He felt the urge to run. The sensation to just up and disappear and never be seen again. Of all the people he wanted to see, Qrow Branwen wasn't anywhere near the top of the list.

And now the two of them were alone in the halls, far away from all the other officers.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said," Qrow grumbled, "you were an idiot out there. Again. You nearly got yourself killed trying to pull Ruby back onto the train. You realize you could have left Pyrrha in the exact same place you were in back when Summer died if you got shot or something?"

James clenched his fists, trying not to get upset. "I don't recall asking your opinion on my methods, Branwen."

"And I don't recall asking you to save my niece."

"I-"

"I'm glad you did though."

"You...wait, what?"

Qrow's hands slipped into his pockets, and he leaned against the wall with his hair falling into his eyes. "Look, Jim. I know things haven't' exactly been easy for you these past ten years. You've pushed yourself a wee bit too hard." He kept his gaze low, his eyes shining softly in the night lights. "And I know I haven't exactly been the best fellow officer I should have been..."

_Wait...is this what I think it is?_

"You know, I ain't exactly the best at this kind of shit either...so..."

_It is._

"Are you trying to apologize?" James asked.

Qrow's eyes widened in surprise and his lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Yeah...Ironwood, I've been a real jerk to you since Summer...since Summer passed away. And I've said some really nasty shit to you. And you didn't deserve that."

 _He's actually trying to apologize._ James smiled and reached over, lightly ruffling Qrow's hair.

"Apology accepted," he said. "Let's try to work together from here on out. Alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Qrow spat, waving James' hand away. "Look, just don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with you, okay? I still don't like you."

"You're right," James teased. "You love me."

**_"What?!"_ **

Before Qrow could protest, James turned on his heel and continued down toward Ozpin's office. He still needed to ask them about the cadet assignments. From what he saw, Weiss was more than ready for the SPG, and as for Ruby-

"Wait a moment, IronDick! We're not done here!"

Ruby was probably another point of contention he and Qrow would have to work through. As much as he'd like to let him willingly request she transfer to Vega Platoon, the rules were absolute. They weren't allowed to be on the same team.

 _I'll need to figure out a way around this,_ James thought. _Maybe more missions in tandem with Qrow's team. Or have Ruby and Weiss train alongside Sun and Neptune. I'm sure they'd all get along well. Though if they're anything like Qrow's "team", there'd be a lot of internal affairs to deal with._

Qrow grabbed a hold of James' wrist, managing to keep him in place. "Where are you going? We're not finished talking!"

"I need to go see the Supreme Commander," James groaned. "I need to talk to them about the cadet assignments."

"Oh," Qrow muttered. "G-good. I need to talk to Ozpin too."

"That so?"

"Yeah. Glynda said to wait till you get back."

"Glynda did, huh?" James gave him a smirk. "Let me guess, you both ate the cake."

"Screw you."

 _Yep. They definitely ate the cake._ "Well, if we need to talk to Ozpin, I suggest we get going. There's only an hour until curfew."

"Right..."

Qrow let him go and the two of them continued down the hall. James couldn't quite place it, but Qrow seemed more at ease now. Something in his mindset had shifted.

_It's probably the stress. It's been a pretty eventful day after all. He's probably just tired and wants to get this over with. I know I do._

"By the way," he added. "Sorry about having to sedate Ruby. She would have jumped back out into the fray if I hadn't."

"It's fine," Qrow said. "Let's just focus on this. We'll talk more about it later."

"Right."

The two of them approached the door and Qrow was the first to knock. The silence as they waited for a response was uncomfortable at best.

"Let me try," James said. He raised his hand and knocked three times.

There was still no answer.

"This isn't right," Qrow whispered. He pulled out his gun and pressed himself to the wall, preparing to attack. "Get ready. There could be trouble."

"Right."

James followed in suit, gun at the ready as Qrow prepared to open the door. They waited until the count of three, steeled themselves, and hurried in the moment the doors opened.

Qrow looked around, checking the corners for possible hostiles while James inspected the floor. It was covered in paperwork and spilled coffee. There were mugs laying broken in various parts of the room. Holograms were glitching in and out of existence as they searched.

They found Ozpin near the window, laying face down and looking pale.

"Nova!" James gasped, hurrying to their side. He checked their pulse before turning them over, checking for injuries. Qrow ran over to the first aid kit in the corner of the room, bringing it over in a panic.

"They're burning up," James mumbled. "I think they're ill, or they might have been poisoned, o-or-"

"Calm down," Qrow stammered. "We got this, just stay calm."

"Calm is a good idea..." Ozpin looked up at them, a weary smile on their face. "I'm alright, you two. No need to panic."

"No need to panic?" Qrow spat. "You were passed out! The room is a fucking mess!"

"Nothing I can't handle," they assured. "Now please, quiet down. You're awfully loud."

"Do you need anything?" James asked.

"Some help to my room would be nice..."

"Right. Branwen, grab their arm."                  

Qrow nodded and the two of them carefully lifted Ozpin off the floor, slowly moving him toward the bed chamber adjacent to the office. No one ever saw into their room, and a lot of the officers often gossiped about what the Supreme Commander did after hours. James would be lying if he said he'd never been curious.

He'd also be lying if he said it was anything interesting. It was just a small room no bigger than the captains' quarters with green paint on the walls and an emerald bed spread. There was a bathroom, a closet, and a shelf covered in old books. No photographs or mementos anywhere to be found.

"Just leave me on the bed," Ozpin mumbled.

They did as they were asked, and James stepped back as Qrow tucked them in. "Are you going to be alright, Nova?"

"I'll be fine by morning," they assured. "Things are just settling in."

"Things?" Qrow asked. "What things?"

"Never mind that, Qrow. You won't know what I mean." They turned their gaze to James, a look of sorrow piercing his core. "James, please don't be too anxious about what happens tomorrow. It's not uncommon with those who slip into the time knot."

Before James could ask what they meant, Ozpin closed their eyes and fell asleep. Qrow gently removed their glasses, setting them on the night stand before gently ushering him out of the room.

"I wonder what they meant by that," he muttered. "Being fine. The time knot."

"Probably some slight change, if I had to guess," Qrow groaned. "Maybe something in the timeline?"

"Maybe. But what does that have to do with their current condition?"

"Who the hell knows?" Qrow looked over at him, his eyes half hooded from exhaustion. "Look...it's late. We should probably head to bed. Lot of paperwork and shit in the morning."

"Oh...uh...y-yes..."

The two of them walked back toward the captain's' quarters in silence, the air heavy with things left unsaid. They arrived at his room first, and Qrow leaned against the wall, waiting for James to open the door.

"Well," James said. "Goodnight...Qrow..."

"Uh, yeah," Qrow muttered. "Y-you too, uh...James..."

James looked him over, worried. His arms were crossed and he looked smaller than usual. He wasn't maintaining eye contact like before. The cocky attitude was gone.

All that was left was fear.

"Do you...want to come in?" he offered. “I’ve got some nice bourbon in the cupboard.”

Qrow hesitated for a moment, before sighing in defeat. "Yeah...thanks..."

James stepped aside, letting him with a smile before following and closing the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby stood on the edge of the hill that night alone, looking out into the sky as she held her mother's broken gun to her chest. She was far enough so no one could hear her. No one came with her. She needed the space. Especially after all that had happened. There was so much going on in her mind, she was struggling to distinguish realities.

When she had awoken the day before, she was visited by a man that was supposed to be dead.

General Hazel Rainart had been waiting for almost two years to speak with her about the incident. Yang had warned him of the attack and because of that warning, he and several other officers were spared. This time around, no one had died. They had managed to push back the invading pirates and restore some sense of order to Mountain Glenn. He told her that if she hadn't interfered, everyone would have been dead.

_"Then where's Yang? Is she alive?"_

_"We're not sure. The evidence points to yes, but...she's MIA, I'm afraid. Has been since you were rescued."_

And Ruby started to remember that. General Rainart and Winter had come personally to tell them the news. They even gave them the scarf that had been left at the scene where Yang had last been. Qrow had told her that Yang never died.

But Ruby still remembered the news being told over phone. Ironwood remembered hearing about Yang's passing. Ruby remembered the funeral service they held. The sound of Winter explaining what had happened. The shouting match between Tai and Qrow on the cliffside.

_The shouting._

The shouting had remained the same. Things were different, and yet there were some constants. She just had to focus on the constants for now. The changes would come naturally in time. She'd be able to tell the difference eventually.

 _Things will be better eventually,_ she thought. _I mean...they are already..._

Ruby took a deep breath, tears streaming down her cheeks as she let out the strongest scream she could muster.

**_"YANG XIAO LONG! THE DAY I FIND YOU I'M GOING TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE FOR MAKING US WORRY! AND THEN I'M GONNA HUG YOU AND TELL YOU HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU AND THEN WE CAN BE A FAMILY AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M COMING TO FIND YOU, YANG! YOU BETTER BE READY FOR ME!"_ **

She fell to her knees, bawling to the heavens as the moon shined down upon her.

_I'll find you someday, Yang. I promise I will._

 

* * *

 

 

_ Sometimes, Fate can be nothing but a cruel and arbitrary force. Destiny's flames can lick and burn into our hearts, making us fear that which we fight to protect. But no matter how painful the flames may be, given time they will fade into gentle embers that shine in the darkest moments of our lives, assuring us that we are more than what we appear to be. We are stronger than we believe. For every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is more powerful than it's would be demise. And that spark can send us into an inferno of determination to right the wrongs that have been dealt. _

**__ **

* * *

 

 

**_ TWO WEEKS LATER _ **

 

Ruby stood tall next to Weiss, her silver gaze forward as all the cadets looked up to the balcony. A figure in verdant garments approached them, their hair like starlight in the evening sun coming in from the windowed ceiling. Their hazel eyes scanned the rows of cadets, vacuous and mournful.

"Who is that?" Ruby whispered.

"It's the Supreme Commander," Weiss answered quietly. "But I don't understand. Ozpin never comes to Cadet Initiation."

"Really?"

**_"CADETS! SALUTE!"_ **

Instinctively, everyone stood at attention and saluted the Supreme Commander. Ruby kept her eyes trained on Ozpin, watching as they threw open their arms, revealing a gentle galaxy swirling within the inside of their cape as they signaled the cadets to be at ease.

"Welcome to the Space Defense Force," they greeted. "You are all no longer just individuals from all reaches of our solar systems. You are now members of a team, working together to protect our galaxies, and the citizens within it. May all that is good and true protect you all, and guide you on your journey."

Ruby's hand came to rest on her gun as she smiled. It had been a long road to walk, but she finally made it. A weight seemed to have been lifted off her chest as she stood proudly.

_Mom...Yang...I did it. I made it to the SDF. I'm finally one step further._

Ruby's smile faded as her eyes made contact with Ozpin's. They looked at her for a moment, brow raised with a kind of curiosity Ruby had never seen before.

_Are they looking at me? There's no way. It's probably just my imagination._

_"I can assure you, you're not imagining it, Miss Rose. We've been expecting you."_

"Did you hear that?" Ruby gasped.

"Hear what?" Weiss hissed. "Ruby, be quiet. You'll get us in trouble."

"But I-"

_"Best do as she says. You don't want to get in trouble on your first day."_

Ozpin turned and walked away, leaving Ruby more confused than before. She couldn't have been imagining it. She definitely heard their voice in her head.

_Looks like I have some mysteries to discover._


	3. Mixed Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo I'm back.
> 
> Sorry for the wait and the MASSIVE delays. 
> 
> Hope this chapter was worth the wait!!!

_ Sometimes one's beliefs  and motivations are like the gravity of the sun influencing a planet's orbit. They can cause that person to take a certain, unwavering path through life. However, when met with an opposing force with very different goals that don't quite align, there is no other choice but to collide. Tensions will arise, lines may be drawn, but how you choose to move forward will ultimately decide the outcome. _

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #23

The group isn't moving. They're just sitting here. He hasn't made an appearance in days. I'm starting to suspect they're plotting something. They haven't noticed me yet. Let's hope I can keep it that way.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been almost one month since the cadets had been sent to their respective teams. Nearly two since history rewrote itself. Ozpin had been taking things slow, as per requested by the captains when they came to talk to them about the team assignments. James and Qrow had been worried sick about them since finding them passed out like that.

_It's been so long since I've been incapacitated like that. But then again, it's not every day that people come back from the dead._

After ensuring they were alright, Ozpin talked to the captains about the recruits in question. Qrow certainly wasn't happy about Ruby being assigned to Sirius Platoon. James was more than understanding about the situation, but was still wary about the situation. Ozpin did what they could to ensure the cadets got the proper care they needed. Sadly that meant Ruby wasn't working directly with her uncle.

And though they probably wouldn't admit it to Qrow's face, there was no way Ozpin would have assigned her to Vega. Even if family were allowed to work together on the main branch, they feared she'd have been coddled too much with them.

_And besides, Sirius Platoon is in dire need of someone like Ruby Rose in their ranks. It's best for everyone that the assignments stay as is._

Ozpin sat at their desk, looking over the most recent reports for the new recruits from the captains. Reese was settling in well with the rest of Cepheus Platoon, while Gwen was a natural fit for Mizar. The two had a unique outlook that meshed well with the rest of their teammates, and so far there hadn't been any trouble.

The same couldn't be said for the others. Nora was doing fine, given her familiarity with most of the teams already, but Jaune was having trouble connecting with the others. He kept to himself too much, and that was going to be a problem down the line. And it looked as though Ruby and Weiss weren't getting along very well with Second Officer Belladonna, and First Officer Adel seemed to have some kind of issue working with Weiss as well.

"Well," they sighed. "I knew that there would be some trouble adjusting, but I didn't think things would be this bad after a month. Maybe I should have Jaune and Ruby's training times be closer together. The more he interacts with people the better. And perhaps changing up Weiss' schedule a smidge might help her find common ground."

Ozpin looked over to the grand holograph of the train routes, noticing a particular line beginning to alternate between red and blue very slowly. Rarely did this ever happen, but when it did, things were known to change. For better or worse, they never truly knew.

"The wheel of fate has begun to turn again...I sense a great conflict on the horizon..."

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #34

They're planning on moving us soon. Some are leaving the Menagerie system and heading to the Patch System. Most are just being reorganized internally. I'm being transferred to the Vale system. You can expect my reports to come from one of Mountain Glenn's surviving cities. I'll keep you posted on things.

 

* * *

 

 

_Calm down. Deep breath. You got this, Ruby. You can do this._

Keeping her guard up, Ruby prepared to try and rescue the hostage. She hid behind the pillar in the center of the train platform, making sure that the assailant didn't see her. Her heart beat rapidly as she tried to get in close. There had to be an opening. There was always an opening.

"Hurry up and bring me the money!" the criminal bellowed, tightening his arm around the neck of his hostage. "If it's not here in the next five minutes, I'll kill her!"

"No!" the hostage cried. "Please don't kill me!"

"You don't think I'll do it?! I'll off her right now!"

"Please, no!"

**_"HAND OVER THE CASH OR I PAINT THIS FLOOR RED!"_ **

_I can't wait any longer!_

Ruby jumped out from behind the pillar, running toward the criminal with her gun raised. She took aim, prepared to pull the trigger and disarm them.

A sudden bolt of pain shot through her abdomen as the enemy's gun fired. Ruby collapsed to the ground, hunched over as she hugged her stomach. Tears stung at the back of her eyes as she tried to focus.

_It hurts. Oh god, why does it hurt so bad?!_

**_"Alright, that's enough. Come back into the control room."_ **

The station platform vanished as Ruby slowly began to reclaim some control over her body. The hostage and the criminal faded away, and soon she was left alone in an empty room with a single window. On the other side stood a young woman in the same kind of uniform she wore, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, soft amber eyes, and feline ears curled in annoyance.

"One more, Blake," Ruby insisted. "I can do it-"

"No," Blake said sternly. "Come here. We need to talk."

Letting out a groan of annoyance, Ruby returned her gun to its holster and walked over to the door. There was something in Blake's tone that told her she was in trouble. She couldn't quite see how though. It was just a simulation. Mistakes were par for the course.

_But why does she sound so upset?_

Blake watched as Ruby walked over to her before turning to the simulation results for the day, tapping the screen on the control panel absentmindedly. "Do you realize how many times you've died so far?"

"Five times," Ruby said. "I've died five times in the simulations today. I've been keeping track."

"Then why are you making the same mistakes?" Blake asked, narrowing her eyes. "Just because this is a simulation doesn't mean you can slack off. We do these in order to prepare for actual situations." She began to walk away, shaking her head. "You only have one life to give, Ruby. Don't just throw it away carelessly."

"Where are you going?"

"Paperwork. I've got other things to do. I can't stay to train someone who refuses to listen to her instructor, so we're done for the day." She stopped short of the door, glancing over her shoulder. "Put the training blaster away and go have Penny take a look at those injuries. You don't want to be unable to do your job."

Ruby simply nodded and watched as she left the room. There wasn't much she could do to stop her. Blake had a point. She couldn't afford to throw her life away recklessly in practice simulations. With a sigh of defeat, she made her way out of the control room and began to make her way down to the sick bay.

_If I hurry, maybe I can go back to work on that simulation again. There's probably a way to beat that simulation, otherwise they wouldn't have included it, right?_

**_"Hey there, Ruby!"_ **

Ruby spun around, smiling as she saw the tall, lanky frame of a young blond cadet in a violet uniform. He had a cut across his cheek, and his lower lip was busted. 

"Hey there, Jaune," Ruby greeted. "What happened to you?"

"Sparring with Fox," Jaune chuckled. "He was trying to help me learn to use a Gravity Saber. I kinda got distracted by something and, uh...well-"

"He really got you good, huh?"

"Yeah."

Ruby gave him a gentle punch on the arm, smiling fondly. "Come on. I'm on my way to the sick bay for a checkup. Let's get you to Velvet."

"Thanks, Ruby."

The two of them walked down to the doctors together, with Ruby eventually having to lean on Jaune due to the pain in her stomach. It wasn't too serious, but it was annoying.

"How did practice go?" Jaune asked. "Pass the simulator today?"

"Nope," Ruby giggled. "I died five times."

**_"Five?!_** Damn. That's...that's impressive."

**_"And dangerous."_ **

The cadets nearly fell to the floor in fright, turning to see the smiling face of Penny staring at them. She was wearing her black and green medical dress and apron as opposed to the doctor's combative suit she sported in the field. In her arms was a small stack of papers, mostly likely medical records if Ruby had to venture a guess.

"Hey Penny," she stammered. "I kinda got shot in the gut a lot."

"That's not good!" Penny gasped. "Come on. Let's go take a look at you. Follow me. We'll make sure you're combat ready for sure!"

"Thanks."

Ruby followed her the rest of the way with Jaune in toe, smiling as she saw Penny skipping and humming to an off tempo melody. She was always in a very chipper mood it seemed. Ruby could never quite get an idea on what she was thinking. Was Penny genuinely happy about something? Or was this just part of her programming to make her more approachable? Trying to understand it just made her more curious.

"Is Velvet going to be in the office today?" Jaune asked.

"She's already there," Penny explained. "Sage and I asked her to help with the paperwork. We have to transfer a lot of data to the main computers by tomorrow afternoon."

"You need any help?" Ruby offered.

"No thank you, Ruby. That would only hinder your recovery. And besides, you have training with Blake again tomorrow, remember?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

With a soft giggle from Penny, the three made it to the infirmary and set to work getting their injuries treated. Penny reprimanded Ruby through the whole process, warning her to be more careful so as not to end up with bruises or more severe injuries that'd prevent her from doing her duty. Jaune was assured that Velvet would talk to Fox about being more gentle before patching up his lip, and soon the two of them were sent on their way, receiving a teasing 'don't get hurt now' from Sage as they went. It was the same song and dance they'd been through since day one. Though Ruby supposed it was in a different key.

_Fuck, Weiss' music talk is seeping into my mind. I hate it. Music's for listening, not thinking._

"So have you gone on any missions yet?"

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts. "Not yet. Been mostly stuck to the sim room. What about you? Heard you dealt with a derailment last week."

"Yeah," Jaune chuckled. "But I mostly stayed and ran coms while the others dealt with it. Captain Goodwitch doesn't think I'm ready for the field yet."

"...we can fix that."

Jaune looked at Ruby, perplexed. "What?"

"Come on," she said, grabbing his arm. "Let's run some doubles drills."

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #42

I think I was spotted when investigating a Faction Meeting. Not by the target, but by someone. I think. I remember a shadow following me. And a pair of burning red eyes. I think I saw a flash of green. I don't know what's going on here, but it's strange. I'll keep you posted.

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Alright, that's enough for the day kid. Hit the showers."_ **

Sun let out a groan of frustration, swishing his tail back and forth in irritation. "Come on, Captain! I can do it! Let me try again!"

"No," Qrow grumbled. "Hit the showers, Wukong. You've had enough for today. Get going."

"But-"

"Go."

Sun let out a curse and stormed out of the training room as Qrow shut down the simulator. He tried. He was still trying. He knew he could do better. He knew he could. But he didn't have clearance to use the controls. He did his best to try and keep a level head, but this particular scenario clearly called for two people. One to snipe, the other to bait.

_"You're not always going to have a partner out there,"_ Qrow would say. _"Sometimes they'll die mid-battle, or you'll be too far away from each other. You gotta be able to handle the situation yourself, without a partner. You and Neptune aren't always going to be there to look out for each other, got it?"_

"I get it," Sun grumbled. "I get it but I hate it.  Dammit all to hell and-"

**_"Well, you're certainly chatty."_ **

Sun spun around, pink from embarrassment as he saw Nora and Weiss standing against the wall. He let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hey there, Nora," he said.  "Hey Weiss. Sup?"

"Just got done with training," Weiss sighed. "Failed the hand to hand again."

"That's because you let Blake get you on your right side," Nora teased.

"Don't remind me." Weiss shook her head, looking thoroughly annoyed. "I can handle most other opponents, but I can't get a good hold on Coco or Blake. Coco's too rough and Blake's too quick. And both are a bit of a jerk. Especially Blake lately."

"Don't worry about her," Sun assured. "She's always like that. She's very Blakey"

"What about you?" Nora asked. "Branwen still being a hardass on you?"

"That's an understatement!" Sun joined them against the wall, tugging at his hair. "He's been like this ever since I joined. And that was almost, what, three years ago?"

"He doesn't exactly act like a normal captain," Weiss muttered. "I bumped into him the other night before curfew and he smelt of whiskey and called me 'Ice Queen Jr.' The guy is a dick."

"I thought he liked dicks," Nora snickered.

**_"Nora!"_ **

"What?! It's true!"

"TMI, Nora," Sun moaned. "Seriously though. Qrow's just being especially harsh today."

Nora looked at him, brow raised in worry. "Sun? You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You know," Weiss said. "It's alright to not be okay. No one expects you to be all the time."

"Qrow does."

"Qrow doesn't matter right now." Weiss gave him a punch on the shoulder. "Look...do you want to do training with us tomorrow? We're on flight practice."

Sun looked at her, managing a small grin. "I'd love to, but I'm having lessons with Gramps tomorrow in repairs. But-" he pushed himself off the wall, bowing to the two of them "-if you'd be so kind as to accompany me and Neptune to ye old bakery this evening, I'd be happy to pay."

The girls looked between each other, lips pursed in silent discussion. Sun watched as they took turns shrugging and nodding toward him. He was rather surprised. He'd known Nora for years, but she seemed to take on a whole new persona around Weiss. Still the chipper repair ward talent he knew, but a bit more reserved. He had to admit, it was rather scary.

"Are you really gonna pay?" Nora asked slowly.

"Yes," Sun said, trying to mask the worry in his voice.

"Very well," Weiss said, grabbing his arm. "We shall accompany you."

Nora grabbed his other arm, smirking as they ran forward. "Let's go! To find Neptune!"

"Wait-" Sun started.

The girls ran off, dragging him through the halls with sing-song voices filling his ears.

_Maybe this was a bad idea._

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #55

There's a strange mark on the walls of this building. I think The Queen's crew may be nearby? It doesn't look like it, but I think I might be onto something.

I just hope I'm not being followed. Every day it feels like I am. But I'm not.

I don't think I am, at least.

 

* * *

 

 

Another day, another evening Ren found himself wandering the halls yet again. It was becoming more and more frequent with every passing day. The sensation of someone crying out echoed through the entire building. He'd gotten used to it. Having to feel these wavelengths had become a normal part of his routine. It came in handy. It let him get a good read on a situation. It let him prepare.

And it let him find people.

Like this evening in particular. Thanks to these wavelengths, he found two cadets who were up late and about to miss curfew. One in Spice's violet uniform, the other in Sirius blue. Both in the sim room training to handle hostage situations.

**_"HAND OVER THE CASH OR I PAINT THIS FLOOR RED!"_ **

"What the hell are they doing?" he muttered. Ren went over to the panel and examined the settings, eyes widening as he saw the scores.

_This isn't right,_ he thought. _These levels are typically reserved for older officers with three years experience. What in the name of Destiny is going through their heads? They could get hurt!_

**_"Simulation complete."_ **

"What?" Ren looked up from the panel with concern. Jaune had the simbot pinned down, while Ruby was escorting the hostage out of the way. On their own, the two couldn't have completed this task at this level. From the past few training sessions, they couldn't have completed the level they were supposed to be on. It was astounding. Impressive really.

_But still...something is off about this..._

"How do you think we did?" Jaune stammered as the simulation faded.

"I think we did okay?" Ruby said. "First time I completed this scenario without injury."

Ren smiled, turning on the intercom. "Didn't realize how dedicated you both were." He held back a chuckle as the two cadets jumped. "I think that's enough for tonight. Why don't you both come on in and I'll tell you your scores. Though I have to say, I'm rather disappointed at your recklessness. You could get hurt." Ruby and Jaune came in, with Ruby doing the talking it seemed. Jaune was too busy blushing. It was rather cute.

"We're sorry, Ren," Ruby said. "We thought we could improve our rankings by bumping up the level a bit."

"I can see that," he said. "These results are incredible. I haven't seen simulation results like this in a while."

"Probably didn't help our rankings though," Jaune mumbled. "I'm still nowhere near as good as the guys from the prep schools because of my grades."

"Grades are important, but they can only get you so far." Ren gave him a reassuring smile. "And as a former Prep-Schooler, I have to say, no one could get the scores you both just got. Take a look."

The cadets looked at the scores, and Jaune nearly fell over. "Holy shit! When did we get this level?!"

"I just boosted it up a few from where Blake left me," Ruby admitted. "I didn't check it first."

"You need to check it next time." Ren saved the scores and reset the levels to zero. "This is impressive. But you'll both need to show you can handle it at the usual settings solo from now on. This is a solo simulation for a reason."

"Right," Jaune mumbled. "Will do."

"Sorry Ren," Ruby said.

Ren gave them both a pat on the back, resisting the urge to tease Jaune about his blushing. "We'll talk more about this later. Both of you head to bed. Curfew is soon."

The cadets left the room and made their way back to their quarters. Ren waited until he was certain there wouldn't be anyone listening in. Once the coast was clear, he set the control panel to a mellow park scene. Threat level zero. Patrol training. This was the perfect setting for a one on one talk. He stepped in and made his way to the nearest bench in the simulation, keeping his eyes closed.

"You can come down now," Ren called. "They're gone, so you can come out of hiding. We need to talk anyway."

There was a gentle rustle of the leaves. A click of boots on pavement. A soft groan as someone stretched their arms. Ren smiled as the person took a seat beside him. With a little focus, he could make out a thin violet outline in his mind.

"You've been watching, huh?"

"Of course, Blake." Ren reached up, pulling his hair over his shoulder to braid it. "You've been pushing Ruby pretty hard."

Blake let out a sigh, and Ren could just make out the sound of her ears twitching. "I'm pushing her as far as I can within the regulations. She's an excellent shot. Has good hand to hand, her grades are decent. She has potential. But she's-"

"Stubborn?"

"Holding back. And not in the good way."

"I see." Ren turned and looked up into the sky, admiring the clouds as they slowly rolled by. "I'm guessing you haven't told the captain about your concerns yet?"

"Not yet," Blake admitted. "I was going to give it one more day and then talk to him." She leaned back, scratching at the back of her neck absentmindedly. "If I'm honest, I don't think she belongs here. Especially after looking over her records."

"Hm...are you trying to get her to quit?"

"No, I'm not."

Ren looked at her, eyes soft with concern. "I'm guessing there's a 'but' in there somewhere."

"But," she sighed, "I do honestly believe if she can get past these hurdles, she can become an officer and captain that rivals her family's legacy. It's just a matter if she can listen and grow."

"That's a good answer." Ren stood up, giving Blake a gentle pat on the shoulder as he walked over to the fountain. "What about Weiss? You don't seem to get along with her either."

"Don't get me started," Blake groaned. "That's a whole other mess entirely and you know it."

"I know, Blake. But you're on the same team now. You'll have to learn to put that resentment and anger aside."

"I know but-"

"No buts. She's not her father, so don't treat her as such." He knelt down, lightly poking at a lotus flower floating in the water. "The current platoon assignments are a ticking time bomb with how you, Coco, and the cadets interact, and you have to do better. I'm doing my best to keep things going. As are the rest of the officers. But you're a rank higher than I am." He glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowed in warning. "You're supposed to be the one telling me off for these kind of things. Not the other way around."

There was an uncomfortable level of silence before Blake finally came over to join him.

"You're right," she conceded. "I need to ease up a bit. Try and make things work." She poked him in the side, prompting him to swat her hand away. "Why are you so good at making people sit and think?"

Ren smiled, rolling his eyes as a wave of nostalgia flooded his mind. "Let's just say Spica's other cadet kept me in good practice."

They spend a little longer talking in the sim room, taking in the relaxing atmosphere for as long as they could. It wasn't until the warning alarm on his watch signaled them to curfew that they finally shut down for the night. As Ren made his way back to his quarters, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

_Something bad is going to happen soon. I can feel it._

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #67

I was spotted by Captain Vernal. This mission has been compromised. I'm sorry I failed you and the others. I'll be returning to Beacon City soon. Hopefully. If not, I'll let you know. For now, don't send me anymore intel. I'll let you know when it's safe again.

 

* * *

 

 

**_"Holy cow, these things are delicious!"_ **

Sun couldn't help but smile as his friends kept shoving donuts into their mouths. The bakery was about to close up, so they'd gotten their orders to go. Neptune's face was covered in frosting, prompting Nora to poke and prod him teasingly.

It was a good evening.

"So," Weiss sighed. "Are you all going to be alright tomorrow?"

"Probably," Neptune said, reaching for another pastry. "We'll probably be doing maintenance on our weapons after repair lessons. Captain Branwen's big on equipment maintenance."

Nora reached out, swiping the donut from his hand. "I bet you a hundred Lien that I'm ending up in space tomorrow."

"I'll take that bet!" Sun snickered. "A hundred says it's our platoon."

Neptune rolled his eyes. "You take after Roman with that gambling habit of yours."

"It's just a playful bet between friends."

"You say that, and yet Nora always cleans you out."

"Shut up." Sun pulled out a cookie from the bag, smiling fondly. "So Weiss. Can I ask you something?"

Weiss stopped mid bite. "What is it?"

"You said earlier that 'it's okay not to be okay'. Just wondering where you got that idea from."

Weiss finished her cookie, her gaze slipping downward to the ground in thought. "Growing up, I had a butler...more of an uncle or second father, really. He helped me be the person I am today. He left when I was about ten." Her eyes softened as she spoke, giving off a nostalgic aura. "He'd always tell me on a bad day that 'It's okay to not be okay. You don't have to be all the time. Take a moment to not be okay, then pick yourself up and tell yourself that you want to be okay. And you work toward being okay.' He always thought that working toward that was an important part of recovery."

Neptune, Nora, and Sun were all silent, mulling over her words. It was rather interesting to say the least. Sun felt as though he was learning more about his fellow cadet. Something more personal.

He was almost too taken aback by the change.

"Anyway," Weiss sighed, giving her arms a stretch. "I kept those words to heart and worked toward being okay. And for me, that meant working toward my goals. And if I had to be honest, I'd say I'm more okay here than I was back home."

Nora gave her a hard punch on the arm. "Damn Weiss. Never figured you for a nostalgia nut."

"Shut up!"

Sun let out a chuckle, looking at the golden sky. "Leave her be, Nora. Not like you and Nep haven't been nostalgic."

"Especially where Ren is concerned," Weiss teased.

Nora reached for another cookie. "Just never expected it from you, Princess. Neptune? Yeah. Ruby? Most definitely. You? Not so much."

"Just goes to show," Neptune said. "You never really know a person until you see them order a whole shortcake."

"You're just mad she got the last one."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Enough you guys," Sun laughed. "We still have to get back before curfew. We have training tomorrow, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Nora grumbled. "I'm not looking forward to it. The training halls have been set really high lately. Takes a while to reset in the older ones, and the SPG gets first dibs on the upgraded ones."

This piqued Sun's interest. "High settings?"

Nora nodded, downing the last of the Sap Surprise Cakes. "Yeah, someone's been setting them really high. Really throws me off my game some days when Coco forgets to double check them."

Neptune pulled out his pocketbook, flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Hey Weiss, who's in charge of your training regiments?"

"Blake," Weiss answered.

"That's explains it." He handed Nora the book. "Since Spica and Sirius are so close together in training, it could be Blake is the one making the adjustments."

"Let me see."

Sun watched them all look over the data before turning his attention to the main building.

"Hey," he said. "You guys can finish my share. I'll talk to you later."

As his friends called out to him in confusion, Sun bolted for the doors. He had to talk to Blake if he could. It all depended on if she was anywhere near the living quarters. If he was lucky, she'd be in her room.

Sadly, he wasn't very lucky. She wasn't there.

**_"Hey Sun."_ **

Sun glanced over his shoulders, smiling when he saw Ruby walking up to him. "Hey there Rubes. Sup?"

Ruby shrugged. "Just got back from training with Jaune. Kinda got told off by Ren. But not really? It was mostly compliments."

"Sounds like Ren," he said. "So you're off to bed?"

"About to, yes. Though I was considering swinging by my Captain's office before I do."

"Really? How come?"

"Oh, you know..."

Sun did know. He knew all too well. "Look...Blake isn't trying to hurt you or anything. She's done the same thing with other cadets. I've been on the receiving end of her training levels too."

Ruby looked up at him, her silver eyes tired and weary. "Don't you think she's going overboard?"

"Sometimes," Sun admitted. "But she's done it to everyone. Even the Captains. It's not unusual."

"So you're saying I should take it?" Ruby asked indignantly.

"Hell no. I'm saying talk to her.

"Talk? To Blake?"

"Yeah. Usually when I talk to her, she tends to relax and really reflect. Same when Ren talks to her. She usually backs down a bit after that." He shoved his hands in his pockets as his tail swished lightly. "If you can find a chance to talk to her, do it. And if it doesn't work out, or if you can't find her, talk to the Captain."

Ruby crossed her arms defensively. "Would it really work?"

Sun shrugged, nodding toward the platoon emblem on his coat. "Worked for me."

Ruby looked at the Vega Lyre, cracking a smile. "Yeah...Uncle Qrow probably wants bossy boots rights."

"He does."

**_"I heard that!"_ **

Sun and Ruby looked down the hall, holding back laughter as Qrow approached with Glynda not far behind. He seemed in a particularly good mood now. That had to have been a good sign.

"Good evening, Captain Branwen," Ruby greeted. "Good evening, Captain Goodwitch."

"Formal talk in the quarters?" Qrow gasped mockingly. "Ruby, what hath Jimmy done to you?"

"Hopefully turn her into a good officer," Glynda teased. "Unlike a certain red-eyed captain I know."

"Hey." Qrow rolled his eyes, narrowing them on Sun. "And what are you two up to?"

"We were just talking," Sun assured. "Ruby's on some pretty high training levels. High enough to get some compliments from Ren."

"Is that so?" Qrow and Glynda side-eyed each other. "Remind me to check in with James to see about looking at the stats. I'd love to compare."

"It's nothing too special," Ruby laughed, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Sure it is, kiddo." Qrow ruffled her hair fondly. "Off to bed now. I'll hopefully see you tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Good night!"

Ruby hurried off, and just as Sun was about to join her, Qrow grabbed his shoulder. He did his best to remain calm, but Captain Branwen was always intimidating.

"We'll talk to James," Qrow said. "Keep an eye on Ruby for me? Just in case something else comes up?"

Sun smiled, giving his Captain's hand a light pat with his tail. "No problem. Think you can talk to Coco about Weiss, Captain Goodwitch? Heard they've been on edge."

"Of course," said Glynda.

Without another word, he headed to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #68

I've been sent to the Gun Frontier. Status updates to resume. Wish me luck.

* * *

 

 

_"Glynda's gonna talk to her kids, but you really need to talk to Belladonna. She's really pushing it with the others. It's gotta stop."_

That was the last issue James had wanted to deal with before bed.

But he promised Qrow and the others that he'd talk to Blake. With any luck, she'd ease up.

Then again, he'd never been particularly lucky.

When Blake entered the room, James kept his eyes trained to his computer screen to analyze the data. Neither said anything. Blake just stood there at attention, burning her eyes on him.

_Why do I feel like today is a bad day?_

"Is there something the matter, Captain?" Blake inquired.

"There is." James pulled his attention away from the screen. "While the training results are promising, I'm starting to hear complaints about your training methods. They need to ease up a bit."

Blake's ears went flat. "Are you saying I'm pushing the cadets too hard, Captain?"

"Not exactly," he sighed. "There's just been some complaints about your methods. I trust you to run the training halls as you see fit, but try to be a little less stern with the cadets. Give them smaller increments and goals to strive for if they keep making the same mistakes." He turned the screen around, pointing at the results of the night before. "Ruby and Jaune completed the simulation together at a higher level than what you set for her solo. While this is a good result overall, if she needs a partner to complete this solo-op training scenario, then it might be a little too high for her at the moment. Especially if solo, she gets hit five times and is sent to Penny as a result."

Blake nodded in agreement. "I was actually talking this situation over with Ren Just last night, sir. I'll go over the data again today and make adjustments accordingly." She paused, biting her lip slightly. "And...I'll try to be a bit...gentler in my approach."

"Thank you." He turned the screen back around. "And there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me? Something troubling you?"

Blake remained silent, only adding to James' fears. He knew the young officer had a lot of the galaxy to shoulder. They all did. But how they handled it was very different.

_I don't want her taking a self-destructive path like I did._

"Nothing, sir," Blake finally said. "Everything is alright."

"Alright. Just know if you need anything, come talk to me."

"Will do, sir."

James watched her go, repeating her response in his mind over again.

_"Everything is alright."_

He didn't believe it for a second.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #79

                I found hints of something. It looks like She's been here. I'm hoping to figure out where they're hiding their loot. There may be some data among the computers stored on the ships I can use. I'll keep you posted.

 

* * *

 

 

The alarms began to blare loudly as Commander Seiben entered the dispatch bay. He adjusted his hat, glancing at the rail map in the center of the room and taking in the line of red on the main Vale Line. It wasn't the first day he'd walked in on an emergency, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"What do we got?" Commander Seiben called.

"Hostage situation, sir!" declared the dispatch officer. "We have a hijacking on the 6113. They're requesting aid as soon as possible."

"How many hijackers?"

"Reports are its three people, sir. Could be more."

"Then send Spica Platoon! I want them up in the air in two minutes!"

"Yes sir!"

Klein watched the map, keeping close eye on the nearby lines. Situations like this always prompted the worst case scenarios of collateral damage. And with the 6113 so close to main junction, it would only get worse. He knew it would.

"I also want Sirius Platoon on standby," Klein stated. "Let Captain Ironwood know his team is to be ready to ship out and follow Spica's lead should they call in. And I want all updates sent directly to me. We're not to lose a single civilian. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

Klein pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remain calm.

_Let's hope this doesn't end badly._

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #84

                I saw Him. He's currently looking at old farmlands. I think He's setting up a branch here. I'm going to try and dismantle it while I can. I need you to warn Khan for me. Send me some reinforcements if possible.

 

* * *

 

 

Breakfast that morning was a chore. Jaune barely got any sleep after the training session with Ruby, and the early morning jog with Nora wasn't helping anything. But at the very least there was coffee. He'd make it through the day.

**_"Hey Jaune."_ **

Jaune looked up from his plate, managing a smile as Fox, Coco, and Pyrrha came to sit with him. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"You look like a dying star," Coco teased. "What's going on with you, huh?"

Jaune shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Was working hard on training. Going over the manual and stuff."

"Ren already told us about your training last night," Pyrrha said.

"Crap."

"Relax," Fox assured. "From what we heard, you both were pretty good. Takes a lot to impress Ren."

"Really?" Jaune looked at him, his face slowly dusting pink. "We impressed him that much?"

Coco peered over her sunglasses, a playful smirk crawling across her lips. "Hey now, cadet. No flirting with the higher ranks."

"I, I wasn't-"

"She's teasing," Pyrrha soothed. "Relax Jaune. Things get stressful in this line of work. Meal time is relax time."

"Meal time is relax time." Jaune let out a sigh. He knew he'd never be able to relax around these people.

Coco glanced around the room, keeping an eye out for the rest of their team before catching Blake. "Hey Belladonna! Come join us for coffee!"

Blake looked up from her corner of the cafeteria, ears flat in annoyance. "I'm busy."

"Come on," Fox insisted. "You gotta join everyone once in a while."

"Now isn't one of those onces. I'll see you in a while."

Without another word, Blake took her tray and made her way towards the outdoor patio with a book under her arm, passing Weiss and Nora along the way.

"What's her problem?" Weiss grumbled as she joined them.

"No idea," Coco said, getting up to leave herself.

Jaune watched her go, trying to comprehend what just happened. Did Blake not like them? Did Coco have a problem with Weiss and Nora? What's going on?

Pyrrha pinched the bridge of her nose, trying hard not to lose her cool. "I wish those two would stop pushing everyone away."

"Believe me, we're trying," Fox assured. "It's complicated."

"Everything is complicated," Nora said, helping herself to the maple syrup. "Look, let's just eat. It's gonna be a long day. I can feel it in my bones."

As if on cue, the warning alert began to blare on the intercom. Spica was needed to intercept a train jacking.

There was no way any of them would be able to finish their breakfast.

"Let's go!" Fox said, jumping to his feet and grabbing the cadets.

"Coming!" Jaune screeched, trying hard to keep up. If he had to guess, he'd be stuck on the train again. Wouldn't even be allowed near the field. Not that he didn't mind it, but he wished he could do more.

That'd come in time, sadly. He knew this like he did the back of his hand.

_This is going to be a long day,_ he thought.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #85

                I did it. Got a nasty scar on my arm while at it but I've got all my body parts, so that's all that matters right now. They don't know it was me. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, but...I had to act. I couldn't let them set up shop here in the Gun Frontier. That would give them too much power. I'll see if I can set up my own branch of the Fang here instead. I hear there's someone in the nearby ranch town that'll help me with that.

 

* * *

 

 

Jaune tried his best to remain calm as he listened to the voices of the hijackers. Analyzing the infrared scans of the train was incredibly nauseating. He was almost glad he hadn't had a chance to properly eat. The sight before him was seriously messed up.

**_"Where are they?!"_** one of the hijackers screamed. **_"We sent in the demands! We want the fifty million lien and a getaway jet! Just what's taking them so long?!"_**

_"Please calm down,"_ stammered the conductor. _"They'll be here in a bit. I'm sure."_

**_"A bit ain't fast enough!"_ **

"Can I break their legs?" Nora asked. "I really wanna break their legs."

"As much as I agree," Glynda stated, "there will be no action until we get a good idea on what we're dealing with." She turned her attention to Yatsuhashi. "How's the scan coming along?"

"Almost done, Captain," Yastu said. "Scan completed. A total of five hijackers, two in the third car down, one in the front car, and two in the main engine. There's passengers in every car by the look of it."

"We got another problem," Fox called. "Scan revealed they have tear gas and shock-bombs planted on the door to the main engine and the caboose. Not enough to kill, but enough to make anyone like me incapacitated."

"Looks like they also have AW-1012's," Coco added. "Fucking hate those guns. We'll need people who are super good at stealth to go in for this. And we'll need to figure out the best way to sneak them onto the ship."

Jaune took a quick glimpse at the scans again, eyes widening slightly. "What if we don't come in through the doors?"

Fox glanced at him, smiling. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Arc?"

"Uh, depends. You...thinking of having someone open a hole on top of the main engine?"

"Exactly."

"I can do you one better," Nora snickered. "I know this engine pretty well. There should be a hatch on the underside. If we can have one person sneak in through there we can retake the main engine from the inside." She looked up to Goodwitch with a salute. "Send me with Fox. We're small, fast, and can kick ass, ma'am."

"If we have Sirius Platoon come up to the caboose," Coco muttered, "we can  have them pretend to bring the hijackers the money. Have Pyrrha and Ren come near the front with the supposed cash while Blake comes along from the Caboose with Ruby and Yatsuhashi. Ruby's a pretty decent shot I hear, so we can have her armed with a RR-1031 Grand and she can disable the AWs without having to get in close. Like a sniper."

"We still need to figure out how to fix the booby trap problem, though," Jaune stammered. "Maybe we can disarm the shock bombs and teargas using the RR-Mini guns? I know they're still new and stuff so I don't know how effective, but at the very least they can shut down a booby trap like that long enough for Yatsu, Pyrrha, and Ren to disarm them. And if we strap on a scanner, we can use them to double check the cars as we go through to merge on the goons in the third car?"

Glynda smirked, nodding in agreement. "I like the way you all plot together. Alright. Call in James, Arc. Relay the plan back to him, ASAP. I want him here in five." She looked over to Nora. "Start prepping what you need team."

"Aye Aye Captain!"

Nora jumped to her feet as Jaune began relaying the plan to Sirius Platoon, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

He just hoped the plan would work.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #105

I've been transferred again. This time I'm heading back to the Vacuo system. There's been reports of The Queen and Vernal working together. I've got to see what they're up to.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby hadn't gone to the cafeteria for breakfast. Instead, she'd opted for the morning special at the food stand near the front entrance. Rumors had been circling around that the stall could make whatever food you'd been craving. And she'd been craving a taste of home. Maybe they could make her some chocolate chip pancakes, or hell, even just a homemade toaster pastry would be better than what they had in the mess hall.

And hopefully they had more than just black coffee to drink.

When she made it to the stall, she was surprised to find there was already an occupant. A familiar head of ginger hair in a grey uniform speaking with the old man and the girl dressed in red. She remembered seeing him in photographs when Qrow came to visit.

"Roman Torchwick?"

Roman looked up, smiling as he waved her over. "Hey there Ruby. Come join me. The crepes are just about done."

Hesitantly, Ruby took her seat. "What're you doing here?"

"Same as you. Having breakfast at the Simple Wok on crepe day."

"I didn't know it was crepe day."

"Oh, well then you're in for a treat. This stand does all kinds of foods, but you have to really keep track to get what you're craving. It's the best." Roman nodded to the girl preparing them coffee. "That's Miltiades Malachite, though you can call her Miltia."

The girl nodded, handing them each a mug. "Charmed."

"And this," said Roman, "is Shopkeep. No one knows his real name, so everyone calls him that."

"Good morning," said Shopkeep.

"Good morning," Ruby said. "That sure smells good."

"Well, I hope you like the taste." Shopkeep served them their meal, lingering on Ruby for a moment. "I'm sorry miss, but...you wouldn't happen to be related to Yang Xiao Long, would you?"

Ruby was taken aback. She was used to people comparing her to her mother. Never her sister.

It was a nice change.

"I am," she said.

"I thought so," Shopkeep chuckled. "On the house for you, since it's your first time here."

"Oh, but-"

"I insist. Everyone at the SDF gets their first meal free."

"Oh, uh, well. Thank you." Ruby rook a bite, eyes widening in awe.

"You like it?" asked Miltia.

"It's so good. So savory." Ruby quickly downed a few more bites. "What's in it?"

"Just some mushrooms, cheese, spinach, and a bit of smoked ham," Shopkeep chuckled. "It's what Neo usually orders but she's not here today."

"Neo?"

Roman took a quick bite of his own. "My daughter."

Ruby nearly choked on her food. "You have a daughter?"

"Yep!" Roman smirked, pulling out a photo from his pocket. "Adopted her not too long ago, and now she's in the SPG. She makes me proud."

Ruby glanced at the photograph, the image of a smiling young lady with tri-colored hair staring back at her. She almost resembled a mischievous ice cream cone.

"She looks cute," said Ruby.

"She's a pain," Miltia sighed. "Never shows up when we ask her not to be late. That was the last of the spinach."

"Ah, that so?" Shopkeep reached under the counter, handing her a small leather wallet. "Then you'll have to head to the market to pick up some more."

"Yeah, sure."

"Sorry," Ruby muttered. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry about it," Roman assured. "Neo'd be glad someone ate it. Good food should not be wasted." He took a sip of his coffee, letting out a content sigh. "She's probably on a mission right now. Last minute stuff. Wouldn't be the first time." His green eyes softened. "I hope she's okay."

Ruby smiled, giving him a pat on the back. "If she's anything like you, I'm sure she'll be okay. Uncle Qrow thinks pretty highly of you guys."

Roman's face twisted, a glimmer of impish joy in his stare. "Oh does he now?"

"Why do I feel like I shouldn't have told you that?"

"Because you really shouldn't have."

Before Ruby could protest, the beeping on her communicator caught her attention. She turned away to answer. "Ruby speaking."

"Report to the main platform in two minutes," came Pyrrha's voice. "Spica requires our assistance. We'll be shipping out soon."

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby quickly downed what was left of her food and began to hurry back. "Thank you for the food!"

"Be safe Ruby!" Shopkeep called.

Ruby quickly made it to the platform before the two minutes were up.

"We almost left you behind," Ren teased as they climbed aboard.

"Sorry everyone," Ruby said. She took her spot in the main engine, beginning her work. "Won't happen again, I promise."

"Never mind that," James said. "Begin take off sequence."

"Magnetic barriers are intact," Blake called.

"Atomic boiler pressure is a go," Weiss called.

"Cylinder valves are open," Pyrrha stated.  "The warp drive coupling is in place, and the main circuit is online."

"Weapons systems online, sir!" Ruby said.

"All systems green, Captain Ironwood," Ren said. "Awaiting takeoff on your command, sir!"

"Let's go," said James. "Ahead full!"

The train took off, and Ruby could feel her heart racing. Her first mission in space was a hijacking.

She was excited and terrified.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #130

                I found hints of something. It looks like She's been here. I'm hoping to figure out where they're hiding their loot. There may be some data among the computers stored on the ships I can use. I'll keep you posted.

 

* * *

 

 

"There's a total of five hijackers on the 6113 express. Two in the main engine, two in the third car, and one in the first car." James pulled up the hologram of the engine, pointing to the areas they'd be covering. "The door to the main engine has been locked and is booby trapped, so Pyrrha and Ren are going to pretend to be brining the money the hijackers asked for while also taking out the hijacker in the front car. You won't act until Fox gives the signal."

"Yes sir!" Pyrrha declared.

"Blake, you and Ruby are going to be joining Yatsu at the caboose. Ruby, your job will be to disarm the goons guns using the RR Grand. Its specifically created to disarm blasters at a distance without harming those around the impact zone, so you should be fine."

Ruby nodded. "Yes Captain."

Blake raised her hand. "Captain, if I may, I'd prefer Yatsuhashi to be the one carrying the Grand."

Ruby stared at her in shock. "What? Why?"

"Despite her improvements, I don't think she's up to that level in her aim. Yatsuhashi has a better chance of hitting a small target like that, and carry the gun without being slowed down." Blake glanced at Ruby. "Think back to all the simulators. How many times have you died in them recently? You have the speed and reaction time more suited to covering my back if things go south, and to be honest, I don't think you'll be able to even lift the thing."

Ruby clenched her fists, doing her best to remain calm. "I can handle it, Blake. A lot better than you think I can."

"Even so, you're not ready for that kind of responsibility."

"If I wasn't, do you think I would be assigned that role?"

"I don't think you-"

"Enough!" James called sternly. "This is Spica's plan. We're following their lead. There will be no changes unless they authorize it. Is. That. Clear?"

"Yes captain," the officers said.

"Good. Now suit up. We're almost at the target and I want a clean operation, you hear? No. Casualties."

Everyone saluted and hurried to prepare.

_I'm going to need a stiff drink after this_ , James thought.

 

* * *

 

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #145

                You're not going to believe this. I think they're working with The Queen. The Faction and The Queen are using the same kind of encryption codes on their ships. I'm going to try and copy the code so that we can analyze it back home. I'll be sure to take every precaution when handling this. Might not be able to message back for a while. Might still be able to. Just keep checking the terminal. I promise, I'll be more careful this time.

 

* * *

 

 

When Yatsu arrived on Crescent Rose, the plan began. Turning on their cloaking, Sirius Platoon slowly came up to the caboose. Ruby didn't want to admit it, but the gun she was carrying was indeed heavier than she'd expected while still in gravity. But she couldn't afford to be slowed down. She'd push through it.

"Alright," Yatsu said. "Here we go. It's a simple jump. You ready?"

"Yes."

She watched as Blake and Yatsu hopped from the front of Crescent Rose onto the caboose. They made it look so effortless. Steadily, Ruby reached out and made the leap. The sudden lightness of her body threw her off, and she almost missed the platform. Yatsu and Blake reached out, grabbing her hands and pulling her forward to safety.

"Thanks," she said shakily. "Sorry about-"

"Are you really sure you're up for this, Rose?" Blake interrupted.

Ruby narrowed her eyes warningly. "Yes, I am."

Yatsu used the RR-Mini and disabled the traps. "Let's go then."

The door opened, and all three of them went inside.

 

* * *

 

 

Nora took a deep breath and pulled out her multi-tool. It didn't take her too long to unlock the hatch. The key was being able to close it afterwards. Otherwise they might not be able to get the train back to HQ safely.

Not a single screw could be out of place.

"You doing okay, Nora?" Fox asked.

"I'm good," she assured. "Though it looks like it might have been tampered with. The design is meant to hold the screws even if you loosen the hatch. Someone made it so they'll float away if they come off in zero-g. I'll have to stay out here and reattach it."

"That's too risky. I can't leave you out here. We have to keep it safe."

"We don't have time for safe. Those passengers are just a half second from death right now. If I'm very careful, I can crawl along the bottom after I close you in. The blueprints for this model will help you once you get inside the hatch. And you're more than a match for two bozos. By the time you get them and I get to a spot where I can climb on board, Ren and Pyrrha will probably be able to see me and I'll give them the signal if they do. If not, you call their coms like we planned. Okay?"

With a reluctant sigh, Fox agreed to Nora's plan.

She quickly removed the last of the screws, catching them and counting to make sure she didn't lose any. Fox quickly slipped inside, and Nora began the process of putting them back. Her mind was shaking, but her hands remained steady. The hatch cover was returned, and she began making her way toward the passenger cars, praying that she didn't get caught on the wheels.

A slight spark pulled Nora's attention, and she rolled her eyes as she pulled out another tool from her belt. A spark like that spelt trouble. And she wasn't in the mood for trouble.

_When we're done here I'm getting some cake._

 

* * *

 

 

Ren and Pyrrha were slowly approaching the front coach. Ren held the empty suitcase in his hands, focusing on the feeling he was having. There was something off about the operation. Almost as if they hadn't accounted for something.

But what?

"Getting that feeling again?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah. You feel it too?"

"Not exactly, but...it's still worrying." She looked over her shoulder, smiling brightly. "We'll just have to be more careful than usual."

"Indeed."

_I just hope this works._

 

* * *

 

 

Fox slowly crawled through the shafts of the engine, following the path marked for him. There was an emergency panel near the main consol where he planned to crawl out. But it wasn't like the other panels. You needed a specific code to unlock it, as it was a only really used to run maintenance in the engine yard. An older model that had yet to be retired, though would probably be replaced by the end of the quarter.

_No wonder this was so easy to hijack,_ he thought.

Carefully removing his helmet, he slipped off his visor and set it down beside the panel. He had to be quick. And he had to be accurate. There was absolutely no time for mistakes.

Carefully, he undid the wiring on his visor, following the special notches and tape he'd had help to apply. He opened the battery hatch and began to fiddle around, connecting various wires here and there until he heard a slight ding, alerting him that he'd unlocked it safely. He put his helmet back on and proceeded out the hatch.

One of the hijackers spotted him.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he screamed.

"Fuck, it's SDF!" the other spat, pulling out a communicator as his friend followed suit.

Fox didn't waste a second, drawing his saber and shooting the communicator out of the goons' hands. He then dashed forward, just barely missing the hijackers when they jumped out of the way. A quick spin, a loud clank, and one of them was disarmed.

"Bastard!"

The other hijacker pulled out a knife and dashed forward, only to miss Fox and crash into the door. With a swift kick to the head, Fox knocked him out, cuffing him before he could do any more damage. He then turned his attention to the other, who simply dropped his retrieved gun and put his hands in the air as Fox held the end of his Saber to his face.

"Kick it away," Fox ordered.

The hijacker nodded, kicking the gun behind him and letting Fox cuff him and read his rights. By the way he was trembling, he could tell the crook wasn't in the mood to die today.

"You made a good call," Fox said. "I'll be sure to let them know when we bring you back to HQ. Now behave." He turned his attention to the unconscious hijacker, checking him over to make sure he wasn't seriously injured. "You really thought taking on a train was a good idea...and you're all so young too." Without another word, he went over to the main terminal.

He had a message to send.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby followed Blake and Yatsuhashi through the cars as quickly and silently as she could manage. With every step, she couldn't help but be on edge. There was something off about this scenario. But she couldn't quite place it at first.

Then she skidded to a stop.

"Wait," she hissed.

Blake turned to glare at her. "What is it?"

Ruby took a quick glance around. "Isn't it weird that there's no passengers here in these cars? There should be at least one or two hiding, right?"

"They probably moved them all to the front cars," Yatsuhashi said. "To keep track of them all. Wouldn't be surprising."

"Yeah, but that's the thing. Even if they did, there'd be at least, like, a warning person maybe? Like, a conductor tied up and left to warn us of explosions or something?"

"That's just silly cartoon stuff," Blake groaned. "We have to keep-"

**_Click, click, click!_ **

There was a slight shake, sending the three sprawling to the floor. As they got up, Ruby listened closely to the sounds around her. She knew that sound. The malicious clicking. It'd been a long time, but she knew it.

The sound of a train getting away.

"They're uncoupling the back!" she cried.

"Shit!"

Yatsu hurried to the car, grabbing Blake and Ruby as the space between their car and the next began to grow. With all his might he threw them forward, smiling as they managed to catch onto the next car and get inside.

Soon the space was too wide for him to cross.

"Dammit," Blake hissed. "Must have been a timer or something."

"What do we do now?" Ruby asked.

"The plan doesn't change. We just go without Yatsu."

"But..." Ruby looked down at her hands, and then back to the fading train cars in the distance.

She'd dropped the RR Grand.

"Fuck." Blake clenched her fists, trying hard to stay calm. "We'll have to hope we can disarm them the old fashion way. Grab your blaster and lets go."

"Sorry, Blake."

"Don't apologize right now. Do it later, once we get the passengers home."

With a heavy aura of guilt, Ruby followed Blake to the next car.

 

* * *

 

 

Ren knew the moment they were called in that this mission would go south.

He just never expected it to go this badly.

Fox had given the signal, and at that moment Pyrrha and Ren had jumped from their jet onto the train. No sooner did they do that, the entire back half of the cars came loose. The 6113 continued on without Crescent Rose attached to her.

Pyrrha set to work on the booby trap while Ren went to confront the hijacker. He'd barely gotten two steps in before he'd gotten jumped from behind a seat. He managed to keep pace, dodging left and right. Kick, kick, block. Lean back, disarm.

And yet, he was the one being pinned down to the floor.

"Nice try," the goon snickered, pulling out a communicator. "Not good enough though."

Suddenly, Ren started to feel a tingling sensation on the back of his neck. He couldn't help but laugh. "You'd better not try anything."

"Or what? You'll kick my ass and arrest me?"

"No. But she might."

The good looked up, only to be met with a fist to the face. Nora kicked him off, hurrying over and stomping on the communicator as it hit the floor. Ren got back to his feet and managed to pull out his cuffs, catching the wrist of the hijacker as his back hit the floor. He cuffed him to the seat, giving his face a hard punch to disorientate him long enough to remove his weapons.

"Thanks for that," Ren said.

"No problem, Ren," Nora sighed. "I think these bozos had some SDF training. They really did a number on the main engine. I had to stay outside to make repairs."

"That's bad."

"I fixed it though."

"That's better."

"You bet it is." Nora looked back toward the main engine. "I'm gonna help Pyrrha get in there and make repairs. If that's okay?"

Ren nodded. "Go. I'll head to the third car."

"Okay." Nora hurried back toward the engine, leaving Ren to head to the third car solo.

 

* * *

 

 

Jaune watched everyone at work from his spot on the Magnhild. Everything was going wrong. The cars had been undone, Nora had to climb onto the train from the outside. Ruby dropped the sniper blaster.

Their perfect plan was going to tell.

"Dammit."

"Relax, Jaune."

Jaune looked up as Coco put a hand to his shoulder. "How can I relax when the plan went to shit?"

"Trust the others." She nodded to the screen. "See? they're already got three of them. All that's left is the last two." She gave him a light pat on the back. "Honestly, it probably would be worse if you hadn't suggested the Minis. Just relax and keep the com-link open just in case."

Jaune nodded, turning his full attention back to the screens.

He still couldn't relax.

 

* * *

 

 

Blake and Ruby remained silent, guns at the ready. They only had one shot. They had to make it count.

But waiting made Ruby only more on edge.

"Where are they?!" the hijacker screamed. "They should have been in here with the money already!"

"I don't know!" the conductor stammered. "Please just stop waving the gun around-"

"Shut up!"

"How long until you're here, Ren?" Blake whispered into the com.

_"Almost here. Just have to disable some more booby traps and Pyrrha will rejoin me here. Wait for the signal. "_

"Alright."

Ruby listened in carefully, trying to keep her cool. The whimpers of the other passengers called to her like a siren's wail. She didn't like waiting.

"This isn't good," the hijacker spat. "I haven't heard from any of them in a while. Something ain't right, Shay."

The other hijacker didn't seem in the mood for that kind of lecture. "Maybe they're just bored or waiting!"

The cries of a baby began to fill the air.

**_"Shut that thing up!"_** screamed Shay. **_"Right now!"_**

**_"I'm sorry!"_** the mother cried. **_"He's just a baby. He's scared and doesn't know any better. Please, I'll try to calm him down, just-"_**

**_"Then do it!"_ **

"We have to do something," Ruby hissed.

"Ren, where are you?" Blake asked.

_"Almost there. Attack in 30 seconds."_

Ruby started a mental countdown. It was too much. She was about to pass out from fear.

Ten, Eleven, Twelve...Dammit, this is too much!

**_"I said shut that thing up!"_ **

Ruby winced, hearing the situation beginning to escalate. "We don't have time."

_Nineteen, Twenty-_

**_"SHUT THAT LITTLE BRAT UP!"_ **

**_"NO! PLEASE DON'T!"_ **

"Wait for the signal," Blake said.

"Screw the signal."

Ruby opened the door and charged in.

The hijackers turned, raising their guns.

**_"SDF?! You pigs!"_ **

Shay reached out and grabbed one of the passengers. Before he could pull them close enough to use as a shield, Ruby sent him sprawling to the floor with a head butt to the abdomen, grabbing his gun and sliding it down toward Blake. There was the sound of a few shots, a burning sensation, but after a brief struggle to keep Shay pinned, the doors on the other side opened and a flash of red dashed forward, taking the gun and pinning the other goon to the ground. Ruby pulled out her cuffs, managing to catch one wrist before being kicked off.

"Little bitch," Shay coughed, only to get tackled by a head of ginger hair.

"Shut up," Nora groaned. "You punks caused enough trouble."

"You're under arrest," Pyrrha declared.

"Everyone," Blake called. "Please make your way to the reach coach in a calm and orderly fashion. Everything is safe and secure. Please remain calm."

Ruby let out the breath she'd been holding, a wave of relief washing over her. The passengers were escorted safely out. The hijackers were caught. No one was hurt.

We did it!

"Here," said fox, holding out a hand. "Let's get you out of here."

"Thanks." Ruby accepted his hand, only to wince as she was pulled up.

"Ruby!"

Ruby turned, only to be met with a darkened glare from Blake. "What is it?"

"That was a reckless action!" Blake scolded. "You could have died. If you have a death wish, join another platoon. We don't have time for people who make stupid decisions!"

"I made a call, and it saved lives." Ruby stepped forward, fuming in rage. "That's what we do here, isn't it?"

"What did Captain Ironwood say before we left Crescent Rose?" She nodded to Ruby's shoulder. "No. Casualties."

Confused, she looked down and saw several laser burns and several cuts, along with a small pocket knife stuck in her arm. "I-"

"You almost became a casualty, Ruby. Don't ever forget that."

Blake turned and headed back to the rear coach. Ruby's eyes were fixated on her injuries. Everything seemed to fade. Noise was muffled. She was going to fall over.

All she saw was an expanse of empty space.

"Ruby?"

Ruby snapped out of it, looking up to see the bright green eyes of Penny staring at her. "Penny?"

"All the other passengers have been inspected." Penny reported cheerfully. "No one was seriously injured except for one person. And that's you. Come with me and we'll see about getting you patched up back in the medical coach."

"Right. Okay. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. Sometimes this happens." Her eyes flashed violet for a moment. "I sent a message to the Magnhild to ask for Velvet's assistance. The knife looks to be pretty deep. Will you be alright with both of us working on it?"

"Of...of course."

Penny's eyes blinked as her smile faded. "You seemed troubled. Would you like to talk about it? I'm also a licensed therapist and psychiatrist. I can-"

"I'm fine, Penny," Ruby assured with a smile. "I just need to get this knife out of me."

"Alright. But if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks Penny."

 

* * *

 

 

Ozpin watched from the window as Spica and Sirius Platoon came back with the 6113. The criminals would be taken to the holding cells and soon be put behind bars. They could feel the dread in the air rising. Klein had told them what had happened.

As if Ozpin didn't already know.

"Ideals are clashing, and emotions are at the tipping point," they sighed. "It might be time for me to start becoming more...proactive."

 

* * *

 

 

The three captains had gathered in James' office that evening to discuss the previous mission. There wasn't much to talk about, but as of late it became a kind of habit. James didn't mind the company. It'd been so long since he'd been able to have simple talks like this. And while he would never say it out loud, he could spend an entire day listening to Qrow and Glynda shoot the shit with insults and banter. It was more soothing than anything else he'd experienced these past few weeks.

"All I'm sayin'," Qrow groaned, "is that things would be a lot simpler if a tomato was classified as a vegetable."

"Like you and your sex life?"

"Excuse me?!"

_Okay,_ James thought. _Maybe not nearly as soothing as I would have thought._

**_Knock, knock, knock!_ **

The captains all froze in place, looking toward the door. They waited for a moment, jumping to attention when the knocking continued. Scarves were straightened, coats properly buttoned, and soon they were all looking presentable.

"Come in," James called.

The doors slowly opened, and Blake entered the room with her hands folded behind her back. Her hair was down, ears flat, and she looked nervous.

_This doesn't seem good._

"Blake," James said. "Is everything alright?"

Blake shook her head, standing up straight. "I wanted to ask you about Ruby, sir. About today's mission."

"Oh."

The room grew awkwardly silent as the four of them glanced between each other. There was a lot to talk about for sure. This was probably one of the most stressful mission this year, and Ruby's foolhardiness was just the tip of that iceberg.

"Um," she stammered. "If, if this is a bad time, I can-"

"We'll give you two a minute," Glynda said, dragging a protestant Qrow out with her.

The door closed and James gestured for Blake to take the empty seat across from his. "What is it that you wanted to ask about, Blake?"

Blake shifted in her seat for a moment, folding her hands on her lap. "Ruby...had a perfect shot. From her position, the angle she entered the room, the speed. She could have taken out the hijacker, or at the very least disarm him. But she didn't. She had the chance, but she didn't take it and instead tackled him. She had her gun in hand-"

"Which gun?"

"I, uh...what?"                                             

James let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew exactly which one it was. The old model he and Qrow managed to salvage in the wreckage. The same one that Yang once carried with her. He reached into the drawer, pulling out a newer weapon that had been sitting there waiting.

"That gun she has," he explained, "is a keepsake. It's an MO-622, a model that was in use up until about three years ago. Some captains still use it, but mostly everyone's switched over to either the GH-811 or this, the LJ-96." He turned to look out the window, feeling the pain slowly starting to well in his eyes. "Ruby's current gun doesn't fire."

Blake's eyes went wide in shock. "What?"

"It was her mother's. The former captain of the Crescent Rose and my friend, Summer Rose. The gun barely escaped the wreckage, but when we retrieved Ruby from the time knot, she still had it in her hand. It was damaged beyond repair, and has been for years."

"But why doesn't she put it away?" Blake stood so quickly her chair fell over. "If the gun doesn't work, why aren't you forcing her to take a new one? Why is she still allowed to carry the broken one? She could die!"

James clenched his fists, trying to keep his emotions in check. "There are no rules about carrying keepsakes into battle provided they do not cause injury to the team. A broken gun like Ruby's can't cause harm on the battlefield."

"That's bullshit!" Blake bellowed. "What if we get in a situation where she's the only one with a weapon?! A gun that doesn't fire is useless!"

James slowly looked over his shoulder, eyes hollow and pained. "While your hyperbole does have some merit, I'm afraid it's not enough. We've had similar situations with other platoons in the past, so the higher ups took those into consideration when making their decision. I can ask Ruby to carry and use a real gun, but I can't force her to do it or change her mind about it."

Blake kept her eyes leveled on him as she stepped forward and picked up the LJ-96. Her eyes narrowed, and a spark of determination seemed to flicker through her eyes.

"You might not be able to, Captain. But I can."

Without another word, Blake walked out of the office. James felt as if the air had grown cold.

"I hope you can, Blake. For her sake."

 

* * *

 

 

The moment Ruby walked into the meeting room, she was nearly scared back out by the sudden appearance of the other officers. Ren, Pyrrha, and Sage were waiting by the wall while everyone else scurried over to her with a myriad of questions and such. Was she okay? How did she get out with only a scratch? What happened before she ran at the hijacker?

All of these questions she'd already answered back in the medical bay with Penny.

"Everyone, please," Sage chuckled. "Give the young lady some space."

"Sorry!" Sun chuckled. "We were just worried. It's not every day someone around her gets shot."

Neptune rolled his eyes. "Sun-"

"Okay, no one gets shot and comes out okay."

"How're you feeling?" Jaune asked. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Ruby snickered, watching them all back up. "It was just a scratch."

"That's not what Velvet said."

"It wasn't that bad. See?" She rolled her shoulder, resting her hand where the wound once was. "The medical tech here has improved a lot over the years. They can do just about anything."

"They can't bring people back from the dead, unfortunately. No amount of technology or fairytales can do that."

Everyone turned to look toward the stairs leading to the Captain's office. Standing at the top was Blake, brows furrowed in concern. All present remained silent as they watched her step down slowly. She kept her eyes focused on Ruby, walking up to her and holding out a gun to her.

"That's an LJ-96," Ruby said. "It's a really good model."

"I know that," Blake said. "And I want you to take it. Now."

Ruby looked at her, perplexed. "But I already have a-"

"It's broken."

Everyone looked between each other, small gasps and whispers filling the silence. Ruby's hand instinctively gripped her holster, preparing to defend her mother's weapon.

"Ruby," Blake said calmly. "As important as that weapon is to you, a broken gun is useless in the field.  Now take this one, or quit the SDF."

Everyone seemed to gather behind Blake in that moment, watching intently to see what she'd do. Ruby gripped her gun tighter, trying to remain in the present. Images of her sister falling to the ground faded in an out of focus. Visions of her mother turning away and leaving to meet her end. She felt the sudden need to run. To bolt out of the room and never look back. But she bit back the panic, reaching out and grabbing the new sidearm.

"Fine," she managed. "I'll take it."

Blake smiled, her expression softening. "Good. Thank y-"

"I said I'll take it. But I won't use it."

"What?" Blake glared at her, anger radiating from her with every passing second. "What do you mean you're not going to use it?!"

"I know my duty. My duty is to protect people." Ruby bit back the tears stinging her eyes. "I don't need a gun to perform my work. And you only said to take it. You never said I had to use it."

"She has a point," Sun said before getting smacked on the arm by Scarlet.

Blake began to walk away, shaking her head in disappointment. "You can gamble your own life on that ideal, but not ours, Ruby. Remember that."

Ruby watched as she left, slipping the new gun into the empty holster on her left hip. Everyone seemed to be whispering amongst themselves now, asking what was going on.

_I'm not gambling with other's lives,_ she thought. _I'm doing what I believe is right. I know what my duty is. I can do my job without killing anyone, friend or foe._

**_"Hello! Earth to Ruby!"_ **

"Huh?" Ruby found herself surrounded by everyone. "What's up?"

"We've been asking if you're okay," Nora said. "You're crying."

"Crying?" Ruby put a hand to her cheek, surprised to feel it was damp. "I'm fine, really. Just tired."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm sure," she insisted. "I'm probably just gonna grab a snack and head to bed."

"Jaune, Nora, and I are heading to the Simple Wok," Ren said. "Would you like to come?"

"Maybe next time. Thanks anyway."

Before anyone could ask her anymore questions she bolted out of the meeting room and headed toward her quarters. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't focus. She just had to leave. She needed space. She needed time.

_I can't let them see me break down. I can't let them worry. I have to stay strong I have to be brave. I have to-_

**_"Hey Ruby!"_ **

Ruby jumped in fright at the feeling of something bump her shoulder. Squealing, she turned to see Sun standing behind her, arms up in surrender. His tail waved back and forth gently, holding a small paper bag with a bright red ribbon on the top. He gave her a nervous chuckle, taking a step back so that there was a good foot and a half of space.

"Sun!" she groaned. "You nearly scared me half to death!"

"Oh god," Sun sighed, folding his hands behind his head. "Please don't tell your uncle. He'll have me running laps for weeks."

"That does sound like something he'd do." She glanced at the bag, brow raised in confusion. "What's that?"

"This?" He held the bag out to her, a mischievous grin on his face. "Had a chance to stop by the Meteor Magic Cake Shoppe and picked up some strawberry banana cookies. Thought you might like some."

Ruby hesitantly took the bag, confused. "You're giving these to me?"

"Yeah," Sun said cheerfully. "I remember what it was like being the new kid after a mission. Being reprimanded and shit sucks, you know? Food helped a lot." He leaned against the wall, brows furrowed in worry. "Especially when it comes to Blake being all...Blakey."

Ruby joined him by the wall, pulling out one of the cookies to try. "She is very...Blakey."

He reached over and lightly pat her on the head. "Don't let it get to you. She's like that with everyone." He looked up at the ceiling, a cartoonish look of thought on his face. "No, wait. She's worse when it comes to me and Neptune because we kept trying to pet her ears."

Ruby let out a small giggle. "Like she'd let you get that close."

"She did once. And only because it was my birthday." Sun lightly wrapped his tail over his shoulder, lightly petting it like one would a family cat. "So...you sure you're okay, Ruby?"

Ruby finished off the cookie, smiling softly because it tasted like home. "I'm alright, Sun. It's just...been pretty hard..."

He looked at her, concerned. "You know...it's okay not to be okay. You don't have to go it alone. We're here if you need someone to talk to and stuff. Until you're able to be okay again."

Ruby nodded, lightly leaning against him. "I know that...Thanks, Sun..."

"For what?"

_Dummy,_ she thought, rolling her eyes. "Just...you know...for being there?"

Sun smiled, lightly wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "No problem. I'll always have your back, Rubes."

The two of them remained in that empty hallway, sharing cookies until it was time for bed. They parted ways with a warm hug and a wish goodnight. For the first time since she arrived, Ruby didn't dream of Yang or Summer. Instead, it was of cookies and friends, all gathered around the table.

Ruby had never had a more peaceful sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Jaune sat quietly on the steps, staring blankly at the ground. He felt numb. The plan didn't work. Ruby got hurt. And he couldn't help but wonder if he could have done more. He probably could have. He should have.

But he couldn't have.

And he hated that he couldn't have.

Or could he?

Maybe I could have redone the calculations? Triple, no, quadruple the scans. Run possible scenarios through the computer. Anything to make it so that we knew what was coming. I should have done more.

"Hey."

Jaune looked up, barely managing a smile as he stood. "Hey Ren. What's going on?"

"Came looking for you," Ren stated. "It's almost curfew and you kind of disappeared after Blake and Ruby wandered off. Nora's pretty worried, you know."

"Sorry about that..."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay, Arc?"

Jaune chuckled nervously. "Just, uh, reflecting. Yeah, that's it. I'm reflecting on how I could have been more help. What I could have done, you know?"

Ren smiled, holding out a hand to him. "Come on. Nora and I are going to do some meditation with Pyrrha before bed. Join us."

"I don't think I-"

"Don't think. Just...relax." Ren smiled fondly. "First hostage situation, right? It can be terrifying, especially when things go wrong. I find that meditation helps. What do you say?"

Jaune gingerly reached out and accepted his hand, feeling far calmer now than he had before. "Okay."

The two made their way back into the building, and Jaune did his best to put the dark thoughts aside.

They'd all had enough of that for one day.

****

* * *

 

 

**_"What's your problem?"_ **

**_"What's your problem?!"_ **

Weiss had followed Blake out of the room when no one was paying attention, managing to keep pace with her until she was close enough to grab her arm. She held on tightly, trying her best to sound intimidating. She needed answers, and she needed them now.

"Why were you being so harsh with Ruby?" Weiss spat. "No wait, scratch that. Why have you been so harsh with both of us? And all the other cadets for that matter."

Blake glared at her, a low growl in her voice. "I'm not being harsh."

"Oh really? Then why have you been trying so hard to get us kicked off the force?" She kept her tone cold and level, trying to seem more angry than she let on. "You've been nothing but unwelcoming since we joined Sirius Platoon. You refuse to keep longer than a minute's conversation with us. You just answer our questions at the bare minimum, and refuse to join us outside of work for anything. You raise our training simulations to far higher levels than the other new recruits, and then you act as if we're not important. And now you've gone and made Ruby upset-"

"I'm sorry," Blake spat. "I didn't realize wanting my teammate to actually be able to have my back in the field was such a big fucking deal." She walked forward until Weiss found herself against the wall. "And for the record, as second officer, it's part of my job to help oversee training of cadets if my captain asks it of me. If I feel you're not being trained at the proper level, I'm allowed to lower or boost the level provided the data adds up, which it did. I don't partake in small talk or outside of work activities because I have more important things to do than fraternize with children who can't even read the manual and follow the rules."

Weiss felt her back hit against the wall, and she had to fight the urge to reach for her Myrtenaster. "I-I just-"

"I'm not treating you any differently," she continued. "And I'm not trying to get you and Ruby kicked off the team. I'm treating you like I would any other cadet that came under our wing. If you don't believe me, you can ask Sun and Neptune. I've spent a lot of time helping train them with Vega Platoon. They've experienced my training simulations first hand. Hell, ask Qrow if you don't believe me, because I put him through the wringer once."

"I-"

"Someday, that long ponytail of yours is going to get you into trouble. And someday, Ruby's going to get into a situation where she needs to use a working gun. It's just unavoidable in space at this time. Sometimes you'll have to actually shoot someone. If you can't get any of that through your head, Princess, maybe you should go back to whatever colony of Atlas you came from!"

Blake punched the wall a foot from Weiss' face, causing her to wince as her eyes went wide in shock. She'd seen this kind of anger before, but it had been a long time. The same kind of anger that had pushed her sister to leave home. The same anger that drove her to join the SDF herself. The same anger that someone gained from experience.

The anger that had evolved from fear and loss of control.

Blake seemed to pick up on this and her entire body curled up on itself as she backed away, a look of sorrow plastered across her face. Her breathing became shallow as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, turning to leave.

"Wait-" Weiss started.

But Blake had already vanished.

Weiss took a moment to regain her composure, lightly braiding her hair for comfort yet again. Her heart rate began to simmer down, and the silence soothed her soul. With a shaky breath, she turned and made her way back to her room. A single line Blake had said repeated over and over again in her mind.

_"Someday, that long ponytail of yours is going to get you into trouble."_

When Weiss arrived at her room, she let her hair down and changed out of her uniform. She went to her bathroom, taking her brush and a pair of scissors with her into the shower. She turned the water to its highest setting, stepping in with a newfound determination.

"Long ponytails are trouble, huh?" she mumbled. "Well then, it's time to fix that."

 

* * *

**__ **

**_ Often times we find ourselves on the brink of a meltdown. A crash course to the end of the line based only on our goals. We handle more than we are prepared to, and that may inevitably bring us to a collision. But no matter what, we still continue to strive toward the future with our teeth bared and our nails sharpened, refusing to let the fear of past actions rule us. But even so, there comes a time where we must reflect among our own wreckage in order to find the pieces needed to continue on, even if those pieces come from those we crashed into. What pieces survive the crash? Only Destiny knows the answer.  _ **

 

* * *

 

 

As she watched the clock slowly tick by, Blake dried her eyes and began to make preparations. The look on Weiss' face was burned into her memory. The fear. The understanding. It was unsettling.

_I need to apologize to her,_ she thought. _And I need to talk to someone about getting my emotions in check. Maybe Ren can help me with that. Or Velvet. I have to change. I can't let my anger take over again. After this next excursion, I'm going to change. I have to._

Blake locked her door and turned out all the lights before sneaking out of the officers' quarters. Careful not to alert anyone of where she was going, she made her way out of the building. She ran down the street, taking a few turns and side routes to ensure she wouldn't be followed. She'd done this several times before with no problem, but she wasn't about to let her guard down.

That was the last thing she needed today.

As Blake arrived at an old motel just down the way, she took a peak down a nearby alleyway to inspect the walls. They were almost always painted over anytime someone decided to make elaborate street art. The walls in this part of town were meant for one thing and one thing only; the wanted posters lining the painted brick surface.

She went to the poster near the center. It was an image of a prominent figure in the pirate circles. A figure known only as The Thief. Blake had encountered this person only once, and she never saw their face. It was said they were a legend.

Most pirates were legends in their own right these days.

Blake lifted off the poster, revealing a hidden terminal with the White Flag emblem glowing dimly back at her. Beneath was a message, dated just a few hours ago.

 

To: Shadow   
From: Prism   
Subject: Status Update #146

 

A flash of lightening pulled Blake's attention away from the screen. She hadn't even noticed the clouds.

_Dammit. I don't have time to decode it here._

Blake quickly took a scan of the message on her visor, imputing it through her cipher program as she covered the panel back up and hurried back to base. Thunder kept creeping closer, warning her of the impending rainfall. If she was fast enough, she'd be able to sneak back inside without getting soaked.

Luck was apparently on her side that night. Blake managed to make it back to her room unseen. And just in time to read the message.

And all of the luck she'd felt was drained out of her, replaced with raw, unbridled terror.

"Oh my god," Blake whispered. "How is this possible?" She read the message over again, making sure she didn't misread it. She copied the original to paper and translated it again. The result stayed the same.

_I have to tell someone but...who?_

Blake pondered this for a moment before going to her computer. Moments later, the image of a ginger haired girl with a cat tail appeared before her with a smile, a girl in tri-colored pigtails sitting beside her.

"Hey there, Bella-Beauty!" said the ginger haired girl. "What's shaking?"

"Neon, Neo, " Blake said. "You're not going to believe this."


End file.
